Goose Boxer - Chat Sing Temple

The formerly gray and rather brittle-looking Chat Sing Temple now shines in a bright red and looks like it was built yesterday. It is only a few minutes' walk from Nai Chung beach that I wrote about in my last post. The whole Ma On Shan area is brimming with Kung Fu film history. Accordingly, there is no doubt whether this location should be part of your next Hong Kong Movie Tour. To view all entries about Chat Sing Temple, click here.

Dance of the Drunk Mantis - Chat Sing Temple

Hwang Jang-Lee, Corey Yuen and Brandy Yuen Jan-Yeung communicate with their fists in the opening fightscene of Yuen Woo-Ping's follow up to Drunken Master. Once again, the videogenic Chat Sing Temple provides a proper backdrop for the combatants' kicks and punches. 

The Young Master - Chat Sing Temple

Jackie fleeing from Yuen Biao. This brief sequence was filmed alongside the same temple where Jackie fought The Stick King (Hsu Hsia) in Drunken Master.

Hell's Windstaff - Chat Sing Temple

Following the example of Drunken Master and its stylistics, Hell's Windstaff (aka The Dragon and the Tiger Kids) features some of the same actors and also some of the same filming locations. Another great opportunity to watch some of Hong Kong's finest on-screen fighters duke it out in front of the beautiful Chat Sing Temple.

Monkey Kung Fu - Chat Sing Temple

By the time "Monkey Kung Fu" came out in May 1979, Shaw Brothers had to compete with new independent forces like Ng See Yuen's Seasonal Film Corporation and of course Raymond Chow's Golden Harvest. Comparatively cost-efficient productions like Drunken Master dominated the box office and became blueprints for potential blockbusters. Instead of building intricate studio sets, film crews simply headed for Hong Kong's rural areas. At that time, the Chat Sing Temple in Shap Sze Heung became a favoured film location.

On the last two screenshots you can see, that they've placed some fake walls in order to cover the surroundings.

Drunken Master - Chat Sing Temple

The preserved Chat Sing Temple in Shap Sze Heung belongs to the Grade II historic buildings in Hong Kong. You can spot it in numerous films of the late 70s and early 80s.