Hong Kong Snapshot (96) Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower, a history of HK railway香港隨拍(96) 尖沙咀鐘樓,一段香港鐵路史

in #hk6 years ago (edited)

In the previous “A City A Story” Photo contest, @itchyfeetdonica submitted an entry about the Light in Hong Kong introducing the light view of Hong Kong. In her photos, I saw the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower, and I would like to write a post for the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower and tell you the story behind the tower.

在之前的A City A Story比賽中,@itchyfeetdonica提交了一篇《香港之光三部曲》的文章,介紹了香港尖沙咀海傍的動人燈光夜景,在照片中,我見到了尖沙咀鐘樓,故我禁不住要為尖沙咀鐘樓寫一篇文章,跟大家說說尖沙咀鐘樓背後的故事。

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What’s the meaning of Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower? It’s not only for giving the correct time or decoration. It’s a sign of the history of rail transport in HK. Since the first rail operated in England in the 19th century, rail transport became a new trend of the world. Big countries in the world all built their own rails. In the late 19th century, the trend was spread to China. As China didn’t own the technique at the moment, western countries toke the chances to built rail in China. Britian got the rails from HK to Guangzhou.

尖沙咀鐘樓有什麼意義?它不止是報時,它不止是裝飾,它見證了香港的鐵路史。自十九世紀世界第一條鐵路在英國建成,鐵路工程頓成世界的熱潮,世界各國紛紛建立自己的鐵路線,到了十九世紀末,這股熱潮終於來到中國。當時的中國仍是清朝,並未有鐵路技術,故世界各國均對中國的鐵路建設虎視眈眈,其中廣州至香港的一段,最終由英國奪得經營權。


The HK Governor inspected the tracks in 1910
香港總督視察鐵路興建
(photo from Wikipedia)

The railway was invested by Jardine Matheson & Co and the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank (HSBC). The railway from Shenzhen to Guangzhou was called the Chinese Section and the railway in HK was called the British Section. But the two companies got difficult in obtaining fund. The British Section was finally built by the HK Government. The railway started from Tsim Sha Tsui which opened in 1910. And the Tsim Sha Tsui Station was finished in 1916. As part of the station, the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower was built in 1915. The railway was called the Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR).

這條鐵路由香港的怡和洋行及匯豐銀行共同投資建設,由深圳至廣州的一段為華段,而由香港至深圳的一段則為英段 ,但由於兩大公司在集資時出現問題,最後英段由香港政府建設。香港段的總站設於尖沙咀,於1910年正式開通,尖沙咀火車站於同一時段開始建設,但由於第一次世界大戰爆發,車站建設一度暫停,最終於1916完工,而尖沙咀鐘樓作為車站的一部份,於1915年落成,稱為「九廣鐵路」,九代表九龍,廣代表廣州。

Kowloon–Canton_Railway.jpg
A poster of KCR 當年九鐵的宣傳海報
(photo from Wikipedia)

The initial use of the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower was to announce the correct time and let people can catch the train on time. At the very beginning, the Clock Tower reused the clock from the demolished Pedder Street Clock Tower in Central. It’s a one side clock tower until 1920 the remaining three sides installed the clocks. According to the information provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, built with red bricks and granite in the Edwardian Classical Revival style, the clock tower is 44 metres high and surmounted by a 7-metre lightning rod. The upper part of the tower is an octagonal domed turret built of red brickwork that contrasts with the white-painted classical features of scroll-shaped buttresses, columns and cornices.

尖沙咀當年最主要的用途自然就是報時,讓市民能夠順利趕上火車,最初期的鐘樓其實是使用了原本在中環畢打街鐘樓的報時大鐘,鐘樓只有一面,直到1920年才有四面鐘樓。根據香港康樂及文化事務署提供的資料,具愛德華時代古典復興建築風格的鐘樓,以紅磚及花崗岩建成,樓高四十四米,樓頂裝有七米高的避雷針。鐘樓頂部為八角形設計,並築有圓拱形屋頂。紅磚與周邊白色的古典裝飾如卷形扶壁、柱子及檐飾等,形成強烈對比。


Tsim Sha Tsui Terminus in 1914
1914年的尖沙咀尖車站
(photo from Wikipedia)

The Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower operated for 30 years and was stopped when Japan invaded HK. At that time, the KCR was important transportation transporting materials for was to China. In Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the railway equipment and trains were moved to China for the use of the Japanese army. After the World War II, there were only two trains left. 1949, the KCR recovering normal operation faced new challenge, due to the political issue of China, KCR was not allowed to Guangzhou in one train again. People needed to get off in Shenzhen and took another train.

尖沙咀鐘樓默默工作三十年,直到日本侵華期間停止運作,當時的九廣鐵路曾經是運輸戰爭物資到中國的重要工作,可惜在日治時期,大量路軌及火車零件被運到中國供日軍使用,到二戰結束後,九鐵只剩下兩架列車及毫不完整的路軌。1949年,重新運作的九廣鐵路再遇波折,在政治環境下,九鐵的列車再不能直上廣州,市民到達深圳後,要再換乘於深圳開出的列車才能到達廣州。


A train in 1947
1947年的火車
(photo from Wikipedia)

1975, the Tsim Sha Tsui terminus was moved to Hung Hom, where the current Hong Hom terminus is located. The Tsim Sha Tsui terminus was demolished in 1975. As the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower had already been part of HK life, the Tower was kept and was listed on the Declared Monuments in Hong Kong in 1990. Today, the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower is an icon of HK. It formed a beautiful view together with the HK Culture Centre, Star Ferry and Space Museum around it. They are part of the HK night view.

1975年,尖沙咀火車站搬遷到紅磡,亦即現在的紅磡火車站,而尖沙咀火車站則於1978年拆卸,但鐘樓在香港已深入民心,成為大眾的集體回憶,終於被保留下來,更於1990年被列為香港法定古蹟。今天的尖沙咀鐘樓已成為香港的標誌,與旁邊的文化中心、天星碼頭及太空館合成一道美麗的風景,是香港夜景的一部份。


The Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower in daytime 日間的鐘樓
(photo from Wikipedia)


The Clock Tower at night 晚上的鐘樓
(photo from Wikipedia)

HKL .jpeg
In 2017, the Clock and Tower and HK Culture Centre became part of the HK Pulse Light Show
2017年,鐘樓與文化中心成為了「閃躍維港」光影匯演的一部份
(photo taken by @itchyfeetdonica)

The KCR has been working for HK transport from Kowloon to the New Territories in the part 100 years. And the railway from the HK Island and Kowloon is another story, a story of the MTR. It’s an unique railway system. Let me tell you in the next post.

九廣鐵路100年來一直為香港九龍至新界的市民服務,而香港島及九龍的一段,就是另一個開於香港地鐵的故事,香港地鐵是世界極具特色的鐵路系統,讓我們下一次再為大家介紹。

!steemitworldmap 22.293609 lat 114.169536 long d3scr

Thanks for spending your time to read my articles. I like to share stories of Hong Kong. I wish you may support me and I will keep going!
謝謝你能抽空閱讀這篇文章,我平日喜歡分享香港的故事,希望大家多多支持,我會繼續努力!

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領獎!

I love this tower, I wish to visit.

thank you~

You are most welcome.

你好!新人吗?一定要去 @team-cn 的新手村看看。如果我打扰到你,请回复“取消”。

我好像比你还舊😂

謝謝你為我們介紹這個香港有名的景點😊好用心啊!

現在請從香港隨拍第一回開始看😂

当年,九龙到广州需要大概3个钟 - 尼果速度应该系最快~

而家九龍去廣州火車係2個鐘,巴士係3個鐘,好似無咩大進步

那個小本子記下來咯,我要開始列一下有哪些一定要逛到的地方,算算時間夠不夠

去一年都不夠

看來要多去幾次咯🤔

不要多去了,住在香港吧!

那就是說要在香港買樓咯🤔

租樓也可以哈哈

相片拍得很好呀,是用相機還是手機拍的?

沒有記錯應該是相機哈哈,上一年拍的

没想到随手拍的钟楼还有这段历史 那九铁的海报好经典 谢谢你提醒我今晚写city story啊 哈哈 上周错过 这次终于要写回澳洲 😄

又要我等你😒

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