Amazing Facts about the Clock Tower

 

When was the bell cast? 1919.    What is its weight? One tonne.    Who made the Bell? John Taylor & Company, bell foundry in Loughborough in the United Kingdom.    Which strike note does it produce? E-flat with a frequency of 623 hertz.    Where has it gone since the Terminus was demolished? The Bell was put on display at the concourses of Hung Hom Station and Sha Tin Station, and subsequently at Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) House in Fo Tan.    When did the Bell return to the Clock Tower? The Bell was donated to the Hong Kong Government to coincide with the centenary of railway services in Hong Kong in 2010. Since then it has been put on display at the Clock Tower.

---

Why are the clocks missing in some historic photos? Installation of the clocks was held up by funding issues and disrupted shipment during the First World War.  When the clocks arrived in Hong Kong in 1920, there was another delay in obtaining the maker’s technical drawings and instructions for installation.  Eventually, the clocks came into operation six years after the Clock Tower was built.   What is the dial size? The dials are 8 feet in diameter. The hands are between 5 and 6 feet long and weigh 10 pounds each.   Why is the Roman numeral “IIII” used instead of “IV”? “IIII” is widely used probably for a number of reasons.  In the first place it creates visual balance with “VIII” on the dial.  Compared to “IV”, the writing form of “IIII” is more ancient, easy to read and easier to cast.  “IV” is not preferred also because putting the name of deities or monarchs on a dial, though only partially, might cause offence.  For example, it would be a blasphemy against the Roman god Jupiter whose name is written as “IVPPITER” in Latin.   Have the clocks ever showed the wrong time? The clocks were once put an hour ahead for a film set.  During typhoons, the time is set at half past six to better protect the hands, and chiming is suspended as well.

---

What is the architectural style of the Clock Tower? It is in the Edwardian Classical Revival style.    Any details about its structure? The Clock Tower is a 6-storey square-shape building with a 2-storey octagonal belfry, capped with a domed roof and surmounted by a 7-metre-tall lightning rod.    What are the decorative features on the exterior? Decorative features include pedimented windows on the ground floor, eight Tuscan columns on all sides of the belfry, scroll-shaped buttresses, and round arched doors leading to curved balconies.   Any details about its interior design? The interior is austere with white walls and teak panelling.  Quarter-turn and straight staircases are installed, leading to the lower and upper levels respectively.   Did the Clock Tower ever change its colour? The colour of the entire terminus was changed into grey camouflage by the Japanese during the Second World War.  The Terminus was reinstated to its original colour only after the war.