Customs House

The beginning

Why was it built here?

This address predates today’s clock tower. By the mid-19th century, the Maritime Customs had established offices on the Bund. Chinese roofs in early photographs show that the customs premises did not begin as a Western stone building. A later red-brick clock tower was also different from the surviving building of 1927.[1]

In the 1920s, port trade continued to demand more office space. Palmer & Turner’s new building combined customs operations, a large office block and a public time signal. From the riverfront, you can both read the history of port administration and hear how the building became part of everyday Shanghai.[1]

Look up, then look closer

Three details worth a closer look

One building, changing roles

History unfolds between the photographs

From earlier buildings to the one standing today. Captions distinguish photographic dates from publication dates; periods without reliable images are covered in the text.

1. Mid to late 19th century

   A customs office with Chinese roofs

   Archive photographs show ceremonial gateways, flagpoles and traditional roofs at the earlier customs office. This was the predecessor of today’s building. The source gives a broad date range; its upload date is not the year of photography.[1]

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2. 1890s

   A red-brick clock tower

   After the Chinese-style offices came a Gothic red-brick Customs House. It retained a tall central tower, but its height, materials and outline differed from those seen today.[1]

3. 1925–1927

   The third building is completed

   Following demolition of the old building, the replacement designed by Palmer & Turner was completed on 19 December 1927. The neighbouring HSBC Building already stood beside it. Separate projects gradually formed the central Bund skyline.[1]

4. 1928

   A photograph records the new façade

   A press photograph from the Bibliothèque nationale de France records the building shortly after completion. Its clock tower, colonnade and streetcar can be compared directly with modern photographs.[3]

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5. 20th century to today

   The time signal enters the city’s memory

   The clock mechanism and its melodies have undergone maintenance and changes. When discussing today’s chimes, distinguish mechanical striking from amplified playback; a description from one period should not be treated as permanent.[1]

6. 2025

   Limited access to selected spaces

   The Shanghai Urban Space Art Season held exhibitions in parts of floors one to three. The official announcement specified a temporary event and excluded the clock tower. The original exhibition period has ended.[2]

Shanghai and the world

A port clock tower and British manufacturing

The bells and clock mechanism were made by British manufacturers and shipped to Shanghai. They link overseas transport and mechanical engineering with life at the port. The connection to London’s Big Ben lies chiefly in timekeeping traditions and technical background, not in a wholesale copy of the building.[1]