Canton Custom House, Custom House and History Museum in Guangzhou, China
The Canton Custom House, known as the Great Clock Tower, stands at 29 Yanjiang West Road in Guangzhou's Liwan District. Completed in 1916, this 31.85-metre neoclassical building has a granite base, a reinforced concrete frame, and a facade of granite columns and stone blocks. Its roof holds a 1915 British-made mechanical clock, and the arched entrance bears the English inscription "CVSTOM HOVSE".
The building was completed in 1916 during a time of major economic change in China and embodied the shift to modern customs administration structures. It was the center through which the flow of international trade in South China passed and was controlled.
The building takes its name from the historical harbor customs that made Guangzhou one of China's most important trading centers. Visitors can see how international commerce shaped the city and what role it played in economic development.
The museum occupies floors from the basement to the third level; the roof and clock tower are not open to visitors. Individual visitors are admitted on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 16:00 with free tickets issued on presentation of an ID, and daily numbers are capped at 800. Groups from institutions and schools can book visits on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays by official letter.
The clock on the roof was made in Britain in 1915 and is described as the longest-serving all-mechanical British-made tower clock in China. Its chimes were changed from Westminster to "The East Is Red" during the Cultural Revolution, silenced in the 1980s after neighbours complained, and restored on the hour during the 2010 Asian Games.
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