The Significance of Big Ben in London, England

For the British, Big Ben means far more than an ordinary clock. It witnessed the history of Britain for a century and a half, especially during the Second World War. During World War II, Big Ben turned relentlessly despite being bombed by numerous German Nazis. In the roar of artillery shells, air raid sirens are heard, and the deep and solemn bell of Big Ben is still clearly discernible. At that time, every 9 o'clock in the evening, the British people would observe a minute of silence, which was called "Big Ben Minute". Tam Dalyell, 76, said that the solemn bell symbolizes the "calm quality and confident and fearless spirit" of the British people in the face of Nazi gunfire. Catherine Moss, a bell tower guide, said that a woman who was over eighty years old cried when she visited the bell tower recently. "Her father died in World War II and she just stood there crying ... Big Ben meant everything to her. She just stood there looking at the clock with tears in her eyes. There are many people like her who can't help crying when they hear the bell. " In addition, BBC Radio International has spread the bell of Big Ben to all parts of the world since 1924, so British people who are far away from home can also relieve their homesickness by ringing the bell.