Leslie Cheung drives through Central Hong Kong in his Mercedes Benz. The tall building with the two peaks in the background is the HSBC Main Building, which served as a filming location for Dragon from Russia and Project S.
A Better Tomorrow ll - Connaught Road Central
Here we see Leslie's silver colored Benz in front of another picturesque urban backdrop. The bronze skyscraper in the middle of the picture is the Far East Finance Centre. The two prominent buildings on the right are the twin towers of the Lippo Centre. By the way, five years later we see Tony Leung Chiu-Wai driving down the same stretch of Connaught Road Central in Hard Boiled.
The Descendant of Wing Chun - Lung Ha Wan
Huang Ha's directorial debut begins with a scenic view of the sea. The rocky coast of Lung Ha Wan is a recurring filming location for Hong Kong productions of the 70s. To see all entries for this location click here. The Descendant of Wing Chun may not be one of the most popular martial arts films of its time, but it is an absolute recommendation on my part.
The Descendant of Wing Chun - Starfish Bay
Fung Hak-On and Lee Hoi-San have a spear fight on the beach. The location is already known from various other films, such as Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and Killer Constable.
Hapkido - Cheung Chun Yuen
Hapkido (1972) was shot almost entirely at the legendary Golden Harvest Studios. One of the few exceptions took the film crew to Shui Tau Tsuen, a 17th century village in Yuen Long. The building on the right is called Cheung Chun Yuen, a former martial arts school and ancestral hall. The house is now listed as a Grade I historic building. Grade I means "Buildings of outstanding merit, which every effort should be made to preserve if possible".
Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog! - Yup Hiu Pavilion
The place where Mars tries to poison Sammo Hung aka Frog. Yup Hiu Pavilion is located right next to the path that leads up to Tsing Shan Monastery.
Duel of the 7 Tigers - Tsing Shan Monastery
Tsing Shan Monastery is a popular pilgrimage site for Bruce Lee fans as that's where the finger pointing scene for Enter the Dragon was filmed. Meanwhile there are even information boards on the monastery grounds at the exact locations where Bruce Lee stood. Duel of the 7 Tigers is of course not such an iconic milestone as Enter the Dragon, but still an absolutely recommendable Kung Fu classic.
The Clones of Bruce Lee - Jardine House
The Clones of Bruce Lee is a cinematic summit meeting of three fakes: Bruce Le, Bruce Lai and Dragon Lee. To be fair, the film's title already makes it clear that no real Bruce Lee is to be expected. As compensation you get to see the real Jardine House.
The Lama Avenger - North Kowloon Magistracy
With The Lama Avenger (aka The Three Avengers) we are re-entering the dubios realms of Bruceploitation. Bruce Li and his friends digest Chin Yuet-Sang's guilty verdict on Tai Po Road in front of the North Kowloon Magistracy.
The Lama Avenger - Nai Chung
Chin Yuet-Sang and the other convicts pick up trash on the beach. The guys did a great job, when I was there the beach was clean.
The Lama Avenger - Pik Uk Prison
Chin-Yuet Sang's sentence is over. Pik Uk Prison is located in the beautiful Sai Kung District, which is probably of little consolation for those incarcerated there.
Bodyguard from Beijing - Clearwater Bay School
A very cool looking Jet Li ensuring safety in the schoolyard. Clearwater Bay School is located about 100 meters from the legendary Shaw Brothers Studio. You can bring your child to school in the morning and indulge in old kung fu flicks at the same time. What a life.
Bodyguard from Beijing - Cheung Muk Tau Holiday Centre for the Elderly
Cheung Muk Tau Holiday Centre for the Elderly is located in the epicenter of the golden era kung-fu film locations. The striking mountain and its surroundings can be seen in countless movies. I've already written a post about it a few years ago, if you want to read it click here. Frequently used filming locations such as Starfish Bay, Chat Sing Temple, Ma On Shan and Three Fathoms Cove are all within walking distance. In Bodyguard from Beijing, Cheung Muk Tau Holiday Centre for the Elderly was probably used for the first time as a filming location, since the facility was only opened a year before the movie was released. By the way, in 2007 a scene for Flash Point with Donnie Yen was filmed here too.
Red Fists - Victoria Peak
Red Fists aka Perfect Partners aka Joint Investigation, starring Yu Rong-Guang, is one of those many Hong Kong films that begin with the world famous view from Victoria Peak. As the spongy screenshot shows, Red Fists is also one of those many Hong Kong films that don't have a high definition release. But as a fan of these films I am used to eye pain. Victoria Peak (552m) is Hong Kong Island's highest hill, but only ranked 29th in all of Hong Kong. 1st place goes to Tai Mo Shan (957m), which is located in the New Territories.
Cheetah on Fire - Observatory Road
Cheetah on Fire contains a short scene which was filmed on the steep Observatory Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. By the way, a fight scene with Cynthia Rothrock, Mang Hoi and Hsiao Ho (Cynthia's double) for the film Blonde Fury was shot three years earlier at the same location.
Angel Protectors - Kai Tak Airport
Angel Protectors aka Princess Madam aka Under Police Protection aka Ultra Force 3 aka Iron Angels 4 offers a nice view of the eastern side of legendary Kai Tak Airport, which was torn down years ago. In the film Blonde Fury, which is also from 1989, you can almost see the same camera angle.
Angel Terminators 2 - Former South Kowloon Magistracy
The courthouse where Chitty Wan (played by Moon Lee) is sentenced to three years in prison for manslaughter. The Former South Kowloon Magistracy is listed as a Grade I historic building, by definition it is one of the "outstanding merits of which every effort should be made to preserve if possible". Certainly not least because of its lively history. Constructed in 1933, less than a decade later it served as the headquarters of the Japanese military police ("Kenpeitai") during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.
Tiger Cage - Port Shelter
Carol Cheng and Simon Yam sailing the waters of Port Shelter south of Sai Kung. By the way, I took the comparison photos in January 2011 during my first trip to Hong Kong without thinking about this scene from the film. When I rewatched Yuen Woo-Ping's Tiger Cage the other day, I remembered the pictures I had taken in this area and fortunately found two that show more or less the same angles. The visibility that day wasn't great, but it's nice that I can still use some snaps from back then for my blog today.
The Seventh Curse - Aberdeen Marina Club
Chin Siu-Ho leaves the Aberdeen Marina Club and gets into his white Porsche. Some scenes were also filmed inside the building, but as a poor non-member of the exclusive club I was unfortunately not able to gain entry. If you spend all your money on action movies, you have to cut corners in other areas of life.
The Seventh Curse - Shum Wan Pier Drive
After leaving the club, Chin Siu-Ho races down Shum Wan Pier Drive and turns left onto Shum Wan Road. When I see this type of sports cars jetting through Hong Kong in films, I immediately want to watch Outlaw Brothers again.
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