Hankow Customs House
The Century-Long Legacy of Wuhan’s Icon
Hankow Customs House (江汉关大楼) stands as a prominent historical landmark at the junction of Yanjiang Avenue and Jianghan Road in Hankou, Wuhan. Designed by the British firm Spence, Robinson & Partners and constructed by the renowned Wei Qingji Construction Factory of Shanghai, the building began construction in 1922 and was completed in 1924. As one of the oldest surviving customs houses in China, it reflects a sophisticated fusion of Renaissance and classical architectural elements. Today, this iconic structure is designated as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit and operates as the Hankow Customs House Museum, offering visitors a vivid window into Wuhan’s modern history and rich cultural legacy.
Hankow Customs House: A Timeless Symbol of Wuhan’s Maritime and Cultural Legacy
The Hankow Customs House is one of Wuhan’s most iconic landmarks, standing as a powerful testament to the city’s transformation from a traditional riverside town into a dynamic international port. Completed during the early 20th century, this architectural gem not only shaped Wuhan’s skyline but also played a pivotal role in the city’s trade, governance, and cultural evolution.
1861: Hankow (now part of Wuhan) opened as a treaty port under the Treaty of Tianjin, establishing Hankow Customs.
1922: Construction began under British architect Stewart Johnson.
1924: Completion of the building, symbolizing colonial influence and trade dominance.
Post-1949: Continued as a customs office under the PRC, adapting to socialist reforms.
2015: Repurposed as the "Hankow Customs House Museum," showcasing Wuhan’s maritime history.
Architectural Features of Hankow Customs House: A Blend of Western Grandeur and Local Identity
Rising to a height of 46.3 meters, the Hankow Customs House was the tallest building in Wuhan at the time of its completion. Its most recognizable feature—the majestic clock tower—soars to 83.8 meters and quickly became a symbol of the city’s modernity.
Architecturally, the structure is rooted in classical Western design, featuring a tripartite façade and Renaissance-inspired elements such as semicircular arches, detailed window lintels, and subtle Gothic flourishes. The clock originally played the Westminster chime, but during the Cultural Revolution, it was temporarily changed to the patriotic “Dongfanghong” melody before being restored to its original tune in 1987.
Neoclassical-Gothic Fusion: Symmetrical design with a iconic clock tower mimicking London’s Big Ben. The facade blends granite and red brick, adorned with Chinese motifs like bats (symbolizing luck) and cloud patterns.Clock Tower: Houses a 1920s British-made mechanical clock, chiming Westminster Quarters hourly.
Historical Role of Hankow Customs House: Gateway to Global Trade
Founded in 1861 under the Qing Dynasty, the Hankow Customs House was established to collect tariffs, manage shipping, and supervise international trade along the Yangtze River. It was initially run by British officials, including its first Inspector-General, Thomas Dick. As foreign influence expanded, subsidiary offices in Hanyang and Huangshi were created to further monitor both domestic and overseas shipping activities.
Though seen by many as a symbol of foreign control, the Hankow Customs House also represented Wuhan’s increasing integration into global commerce, serving as a key node in the network that connected inland China with the international marketplace.
Cultural Significance of Hankow Customs House: From Colonial Legacy to Revolutionary Spirit
More than just a bureaucratic outpost, the Hankow Customs House stands as a witness to the social and political tides that swept through Wuhan. It played a backdrop to anti-colonial protests, wartime mobilizations, and the broader modernization of the city. As such, it has earned a place in local consciousness as a site of both foreign influence and patriotic resistance.
Today, it houses the Hankow Customs House Museum, which not only preserves the building’s legacy but also celebrates regional heritage through exhibits like Yangxin fabric appliqué and pyrography (fire-drawn folk art).
Modern Use of Hankow Customs House: A Cultural and Educational Hub
Now open to the public as a free museum, the Hankow Customs House serves as an educational center and cultural landmark. Visitors can explore exhibits detailing Wuhan’s customs history, maritime trade, and urban development. The museum is also a starting point for walking tours that explore the historical fabric of the city, including nearby sites like Ba Gong House and Song Qingling’s former residence.
Key Figures & Stories of Hankow Customs House
Thomas Dick: First Commissioner of Customs (1863–1876), expanded Hankow’s tea trade but faced criticism for harsh anti-smuggling policies.
Stewart Johnson: Architect whose hybrid design bridged colonial power and local identity.
Master Zhang: A 1950s clockkeeper who hand-drew blueprints to preserve the tower’s mechanics.
The Secret Romance in the Staircase of Hankow Customs House:
13+14 Steps of Eternal Love
One of the most enchanting legends of the Hankow Customs House lies in its grand central staircase, where the steps are deliberately split into two flights: 13 steps followed by 14. To Chinese ears, the numbers “13” (一三, yī sān) and “14” (一四, yī sì) phonetically echo the phrase “一生一世” (yīshēng yīshì), meaning “one lifetime, one world”—a poetic vow of eternal love.
According to local lore, British architect Stewart Johnson, who designed the building in the 1920s, embedded this numerical code as a hidden tribute to his Wuhan-born wife, whom he met while working in the city. Though interracial marriages were rare at the time, their relationship reportedly blossomed against the backdrop of Hankow’s bustling trade scene. The staircase, often interpreted as a symbol of colonial authority, thus doubles as a silent whisper of devotion—a British architect’s attempt to weave his personal story into the fabric of Wuhan’s history.
Today, visitors who climb the “13+14” steps unknowingly retrace a century-old romantic gesture. Museum guides cheekily advise couples to hold hands while ascending, “to lock in their own ‘一生一世.’” The tale, though unverified, remains a beloved metaphor for how the building harmonizes East and West, not just in stone and brick, but in human hearts.
Why it captivates: It transforms a functional architectural detail into a timeless love letter—proof that even in grand colonial projects, personal stories quietly endure.
Photo of 13+14 steps
The Phantom Prank: 1920s Customs Bills Hidden in the Walls
During a 1980s renovation of the Hankow Customs House, workers made a curious discovery: tucked deep within a cavity in the brick walls was a small bundle of pristine 1920s customs documents. The papers, stamped with official seals and handwritten notes, detailed routine cargo inspections for goods like tea and silk—mundane records that should have been archived or discarded decades earlier.
What baffled historians was how they ended up sealed behind a wall. Museum staff soon pieced together a playful theory: this was likely a prank by construction workers from the 1920s. According to oral accounts, laborers at the time occasionally hid cheeky "time capsules"—notes, tools, or even liquor bottles—inside walls as inside jokes for future generations. The 1920s crew, perhaps bored by the monotony of bricklaying, might have intentionally stashed these bureaucratic papers as a wink to their descendants.
The discovery sparked local lore. Some joked that the workers were mocking the customs bureaucracy itself, "burying" tedious paperwork literally inside the system it served. Others imagined a rebellious apprentice sneaking the stash past his foreman. While no names or clues were found to confirm the intent, the bills are now displayed in the museum with a tongue-in-cheek label: "Ghosts of Paperwork Past: A Century-Old Office Joke?"
Why it delights: It humanizes the building’s history—proof that even in grand colonial landmarks, ordinary workers left behind whispers of humor and defiance.
More Fun Facts About the Hankow Customs House Clock Tower
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The Legend of the "Clock Tower Phantom"
In the 1930s, a night watchman who lived alone in the clock tower was nicknamed "Wuhan’s Quasimodo." Locals whispered that he used Morse code with the clock chimes to send secret messages to a lover across the Yangtze River, even causing a delayed hourly chime once that made foreign trading firms late. His handwritten Notes on Clock Maintenance, preserved in the museum archives, includes a poem: "Bronze gears and iron teeth turn the seasons—half timekeeper, half sorrow." -
The Hidden Air-Raid Siren
During the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), a modified air-raid siren was secretly installed atop the tower. During the 1938 Wuhan air raids, the clock chimes and siren sometimes sounded simultaneously, creating an eerie "double alarm." Survivors recalled: "The chimes felt like God’s warning, the siren like the devil’s scream—that’s when we understood war." -
The Backward-Moving Clock Hand
In 1941, under Japanese occupation, the clock mechanism was sabotaged, causing the minute hand to move counterclockwise. Occupying forces ordered repairs but failed, eventually welding the hands in place as the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Clock." The bent bronze minute hand is now displayed as a relic of resistance. -
The River Wind "Tuner"
The tower’s Westminster Chimes subtly change pitch with the seasons! Humidity from the Yangtze causes the bronze bells to contract in winter and expand in summer. Old-timers claim they could predict the solar term by the chimes: "Spring’s chimes sound damp; winter’s ring like frozen rock candy." -
Pigeon Timekeepers
Until the 1980s, hundreds of homing pigeons roosted in the tower. Locals noticed that the flock would suddenly take flight and circle the tower one minute before each hourly chime, as if "dancing with the bells." Scientists blamed sensitivity to mechanical vibrations, but elders insisted: "The pigeons kept better time than the clock—they were living hour hands!" -
The Shadow Code
Every summer solstice at noon, the wrought-iron grille on the tower’s west window casts a shadow resembling Roman numerals. In 2016, a photographer discovered this pattern matched a cryptic sketch number on Stewart Johnson’s 1924 blueprints—possibly a century-old architectural riddle. -
Tea Trade Chime Codes
In the 1920s, British tea merchants allegedly used chime counts as secret market signals: one chime for "hoard," two for "sell." Customs records show a comprador was fired for faking a "mechanical glitch" to manipulate prices. He reportedly laughed: "I tolled the death knell for their greed!"
Why These Stories Matter:
These tales transform the clock tower from a cold monument into a theater of time, where every crack hums with unrecorded dramas—proof that history lives not in grand events, but in whispered legends.
Photo of 13+14 steps
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Hankow Customs House: A Legacy of Trade and Colonial Architecture
The Hankow Customs House is one of Wuhan’s most historically significant buildings, symbolizing the city’s role as a major international trading port in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. With its elegant clock tower and neoclassical design, the Customs House stands as a proud reminder of Wuhan’s commercial past and its interactions with the global economy during the concession era. Today, it remains a preserved landmark, offering insight into the city's economic and architectural history.
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Culture & Heritage – Learn about Wuhan’s role in China’s early global trade
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Wuhan Architecture – Admire the Customs House’s neoclassical design and colonial-era construction
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Industry – Discover the building’s importance in Wuhan’s economic development
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Transportation – Conveniently located near the Hankou Bund and accessible by metro
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People & Life – Understand the customs officials' role and life during the concession period
Explore more with our historical guides, architectural walks, and heritage tours around Hankow’s riverside district.
