The Ghost of the Pedder Street Clock Tower

When mentioning the Clock Tower in 21st-century Hong Kong, the first image that comes to mind is that of the former KCR Clock Tower in Tsim Sha Tsui. However, in the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, "the Clock Tower" referred to another building located at the heart of Victoria—present-day Central.

Completed in 1862, this 80-foot-tall (24.4-meter) square granite structure was funded by Douglas Lapraik, an English businessman of Scottish origin who played a pivotal role in the early years of the Crown Colony of Hong Kong. For about five decades, it served as a multi-functional landmark, keeping public time, guiding ships at night, and sounding a fire bell.

However, as the city expanded and traffic grew denser, the tower—which had been built directly in the middle of the intersection formed by Queen’s Road and Pedder Street—became a massive bottleneck. Eventually, in 1913, the venerable building was demolished.

Drivers and rickshaw pullers who had grown used to veering around it suddenly faced a flat, empty space where the tower had stood for fifty years. Legend claims that these operators instinctively continued to veer around a “phantom tower,” which, to outside observers, made it look as if they were wildly swerving for no reason.

Nowadays, locals and history buffs still joke that the tower caused traffic jams for fifty years, and that its spirit continues to cause traffic jams today.