Custom House clock undergoes maintenance

The clock at the Shanghai Custom House has been around since 1927. Gao Erqiang / China Daily

For nearly 90 years, the clock bell at the landmark Custom House on the Bund has chimed at the top of every hour.

Last Friday was the first time the clock failed to do so as it underwent maintenance following a series of technical issues, believed to have been caused by the recent heatwave in the city.

Shanghai experienced 23 high-temperature days in July and this has affected the accuracy of the clock, according to officials at the Custom House. During maintenance, workers found that a core component of the clock which has never been changed since it was set up in 1927 was malfunctioning. The component was replaced and the clock has since resumed operation.

The clock first began operations on New Year's Day in 1928. Shanghai residents have since used it as the standard when setting their own clocks and watches. The clock and the building are among the most recognizable landmarks in the city and have often been depicted in movies and novels.

Located on 13 East Zhongshan No 1 Road, the 11-story building was completed on Dec 19, 1927. Located at 31 degrees 14' latitude and 121 degrees 29' longitude, the architecture used to represent the center of the city in the 1920s. In 1989, the building was listed as a protected historic site by the municipal government.

The clock and bell mechanisms were built based on the design of Big Ben at the Palace of Westminster in London. The bells were cast by the John Taylor Bell foundry and the mechanism built by JB Joyce & Co in England before they were shipped to Shanghai in 1927.

Wei Yunsi, an official who is in charge of maintaining the clock for the past 27 years, told China Daily USA in an earlier interview that the device ticks once every two seconds so as to reduce friction and prolong its durability.

About 100 pieces of white glass make up the four clock faces, each with a diameter of more than 5 meters. Each of the hands of the clock measures about 3 meters long and weighs nearly 50 kilograms.

He Qi in Shanghai contributed to this story.

xuxiaomin@chinadaily.com.cn