Shantou Customs Clock Tower

Shantou Customs Clock Tower

The Shantou Customs Clock Tower is a cultural relic protection unit of Shantou City.

The former site of the Shantou Customs Clock Tower is located at No. 2 Waima Road, Shantou City, Guangdong Province. It is a two-story building and one of the earliest reinforced concrete structures in Shantou, covering an area of 1,351 square meters. Built in 1919, it has been around for nearly a hundred years. In 1921, the Shantou Customs moved in to operate there, witnessing a century of changes in Shantou’s foreign trade and the city’s bustling historical development. The large clock on the tower and the old cannon on the hill by the Zigzag Bridge in Zhongshan Park form a scenic landmark in Shantou, giving rise to the saying “When the clock tower chimes, the noon cannon fires.”

During the era of the Swatow Customs, the clock tower was a landmark building in the Shantou port area. Built along the harbor with no obstructions in front, it could be spotted from afar by ships approaching from Matsu Islet. Adjacent to the clock tower, to the east lies the Customs Typhoon Shelter, to the west the Goods Inspection Factory, and behind it the Swatow Customs compound.

The series of historic buildings of the former Swatow Customs, with the Customs Clock Tower as a typical representative, showcase a unique and elegant architectural style and exquisite craftsmanship.

They bear witness to the glorious history of Shantou Port as a bustling hub of commerce and the dramatic changes over its century-long development as a trading city. They serve as a microcosm of the growth of Shantou Port’s foreign trade and a valuable cultural heritage.

Location

No. 2 Waima Road, Jinping District, Shantou City, Guangdong Province