The Clock Tower is regarded as an icon of Penang. Just over a hundred years old, the tower was commissioned in 1897 by a local millionaire named Cheah Chen Eok to commemorate the Queen of England’s Diamond Jubilee (and quite possibly to get in the British administration’s good graces). Queen Victoria herself never saw this tribute to her reign - she died before the tower was completed in 1902.

The tower is sixty feet tall, one foot each per year of the Queen’s reign.

Four tiers make up the tower’s structure - as the tower ascends, the tower’s Moorish décor becomes more evident, such as the dome and the arched openings. The tower abuts a corner of Fort Cornwallis.

Getting to the Clock Tower: The Clock Tower can be seen at the junction of Lebuh Light and Lebuh Pantai. in Georgetown. The city center is easily accessible via taxi.