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. 

The Descendant of Wing Chun - Poster

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. 

Mysterious Footworks of Kung Fu - Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall

Despite top-class actors such as Michael Chan Wai-Man and Fan Mei-Sheng, Mysterious Footworks of Kung Fu is probably the least known film of the three. If you haven't seen it yet, you should catch up on it as soon as possible. Interesting sidefact: The film was produced by Betty Ting Pei, who, despite her work as an actress, was primarily known for being the extramarital lover of Bruce Lee. The Little Dragon passed away in her apartment on July 20, 1973. Mysterious Footworks of Kung Fu is the only film that she has ever produced. 

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.

Goose Boxer - Nai Chung

Hong Kong legend Phillip Ko Fei giving some Kung Fu lessons at Nai Chung beach with the mighty Pat Sin Leng mountain ridge in the background. Goose Boxer aka Shaolin's Tough Kid is a classic late 70s martial arts comedy, filmed at many locations typical of this era. The unique selling point of this movie are the gaudy insights into the life of a ancient goose farmer. It's nothing new that many martial arts styles are based on animal defense techniques. This time, the common poultry's movement skills served as a template, why not? Hong Kong cinema has produced far more absurd things.

Goose Boxer - Poster

The Tattoo Connection - Victoria Peak

If you're shooting a movie in Hong Kong it is your duty to show the magnificent view from Victoria Peak. The Tattoo Connection (1978) sticks to this rule. As you can see, Hong Kong Island's skyline has changed a bit over the past 43 years. The tallest buildings from then are the lowest today.

   

The Tattoo Connection - Behind the Scenes

Great behind the scenes picture from The Tattoo Connection (1978). We see the film's martial arts director Bruce Leung Siu-Lung (wearing a tracksuit) and Tony Leung Siu-Hung working on choreography. Lead actor Jim Kelly and the one and only Bolo Yeung (white outfit) are in the background.

The Tattoo Connection - Poster

Warriors Two - Behind the Scenes

Enter the Fat Dragon - Lion's Pavilion

10 years before its iconic appearance in Bloodsport, the Lion's Pavilion already came to good use in Sammo Hung's classic Enter the Fat Dragon. Unfortunately, you don't get the panoramic view over Hong Kong in this one. Sounds like a good reason for rewatching Bloodsport afterwards. By the way, legendary HK actor Roy Chiao is in both movies. He is even in the real Enter the Dragon alongside Bruce Lee (and Sammo Hung of course...Hong Kong's finest coming full circle).

Golgo 13 - Béthanie

Completed in 1875, Béthanie was the first sanatorium to be built in Hong Kong. 100 years later, it served as a battleground for Japan's most dangerous man - Sonny Chiba.

Crippled Avengers - Poster

Born Invincible - Behind the Scenes

Legendary Director Joseph Kuo optimizes Carter Wong's body posture on location in Taiwan.

The Brave Archer Part II - Three Fathoms Cove

The second installment of The Brave Archer was shot entirely at the Shaw Brothers Studios, with the exception of one brief sequence. During the film's opening credits you can see two junk boats sailing the waters of Three Fathoms Cove. The distinctive island in front of them is called Sam Pui Chau.

Fanling Babies Home

I was always curious about the beautiful colonial-style house at the end of Yuen Woo-Ping's classic
Legend of a Fighter. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to trace it because you don't see the surrounding area in the film. I just needed more indications to identify its location, so I threw in the towel...
Yesterday, I decided to rewatch the enjoyable Moon Lee flick Killer Angels not suspecting anything, and suddenly, there it was again - the mysterious building. But this time, there are plenty of leads: distinctive mountains in the background, high-risers and even a blurry street sign. After a few minutes of intensive online investigation, I've found it. It's located in Fanling.
Regrettably, the building was demolished in 1992. The estate was a former orphanage with a large yard, a pond and a beautiful garden. I just could find a few usable pictures of it, but there is a nice website with detailed informations about its vibrant history. Click here if you want to read more.

LEGEND OF A FIGHTER (1982)

In the film, the estate's main building doubles as a Japanese Karate Institute. Interestingly, the Fanling Babies Home was invaded by Japanese troops in 1941. The film's final sequence features some nice shots of the main building's front side, its entrance and a bit of the pond.

KILLER ANGELS (1989)

7 years later, Leung Kar-Yan walks along the circular pond again, but this time he is the villain. The film offers some nice shots of the estate and its vicinity. Tearing down such places is nothing but a shame.

DIRTY TIGER, CRAZY FROG! (1978)

Third time is a charm...The opening sequence of Karl Maka's lively kung fu comedy also shows the Fanling Babies Home. I just rewatched the film and was delighted to spot the building again. The scene features Lau Kar-Wing, Chung Fat and Chin Yuet-Sang (amongst other regulars from that era).

SNAKE DEADLY ACT (1980)

Here we get another glimpse of the main building's entrance area. It looks like the Fanling Babies Home was used more often as a filming location than I thought. This scene features director/actor Wilson Tong, Phillip Ko Fei, Ng Kwan-Lung and Fung Hak-On.

ANGEL II (1988)

Angel II gives us a great frontal view of the building. Moon Lee is brought into the house by a couple of criminals, where of course there is an excess of violence. We also get to see a nice shot of the pond from above.