So the location remains intact, and as long as Cynthia can keep coming up with some nice fundraising ideas it should be kept in fairly good nick (how about leasing it out the TV studios once in a while?). But one thing has changed and that is the front doors.
A while back the local District Council (I think it's Tsuen Wan District for this part of the world, but I could be wrong) needed to widen the well-used Castle Peak Road and the property lost a small part of the land that fronts the road. The original perimeter wall was moved back a few feet and these big red doors were put into storage.
12 comments:
Hey Phil, I might be wrong but I think this place was also used in a US tv movie called 'Men Of The Dragon' from 1974 starring Jared Martin, Katie Saylor and Robert Ito (Quincy's sidekick) I caught this 'Enter The Dragon' rip off on UK tv back in around 85. I hope I still have it on tape somewhere.
Only clip I can find of the gem is here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26W2k7GU6n0
Just found this screen capture via google images and it does look the same
http://modcinema.com/files/photos/images/1822/original_menofthedragon8.jpg
HI AP - yes, I too remember seeing "Men of the Dragon" many years ago on UK TV and it's been on my wish list for a while. Whilst I can't remember much detail about the film - other than Robert Ito being a very poor Bruce Lee clone - I do have vague recollections of a Chinese garden and I think your screen shot confirms it was Dragon garden. The archway is quite distinctive and you can see the circular mausoleum behind it. Great find. Cheers, Phil
Hey Phil, found a interesting article on the commanderbond.net website regarding a visit to the Dragon Garden back in 2008.
http://commanderbond.net/4765/faces-of-asia-visiting-dragon-garden.html
Any idea if this place is open to the public now? Would love a look around...
Had no joy finding the full movie on the net but have found another clip (Not shot at the garden) which you can view here
http://youtu.be/BXTJ5gFP4ak
Some bad fu on show in that clip. Hope I can one day find this lost gem on one of my old vhs tapes. Or maybe ITV will again show it one afternoon, followed by back to back episodes of 'Yellowthread Street' haha
Hi AP - nice one. I believe the garden is open to the public but you have to book and can't just turn up ad hoc. They also run guided tours on the odd occasion. I would love to tag along on one as well but have yet to get my act together.
Yellowthread St was great. I watched all the episodes (6?) but would love to see them again to see some of the locations.
Also may try and get hold of the "Cracker" special (remember Robbie Coltrane?) which was filmed here sometime early 90's I think?
Cheers
Phil
I defo need to check this Dragon Garden out when I get back to HK hopefully this year...I've been doing a bit of internet digging this afternoon after I read that:-
"Jackie’s first known screen appearance in colour was in an episode of the 60s TV series ‘I Spy’, in which he and the rest of the Seven Little Fortunes opera troupe perform for stars Robert Culp and Bill Cosby. The series shot many scenes on location in Hong Kong, with its heroes being based in the Peninsula hotel." from this link //cine-asia.com/jackiechan100/facts.htm
Well this kicked started the search haha. It looks like at least the first 3 episodes of series 1 where shot in HK. And from the screen grabs I've seen from the episode 'Carry Me Back to Old Tsing-Tao' looks like the Dragon Garden was used in that also. Not found the Seven Little Fortunes yet tho.
Check out this website for a guide to the episodes
http://theconsummateculp.com/i-spy/
Can't find the episodes online so might just buy the Series 1 boxset and check it out myself.
On to 'Yellowthread Street' I've read there was 13 episodes in total. I've got 3-4 still on tape. Someone did post 2 full episodes on YouTube but they have since been taken down. Seen the whole series for sale on ioffer...been very tempted but they want £30. I'm holding out for a official release. Can you get www.itv.asia / itv Granada on your tv? If so you need to check out 'Action Night Thursdays'
http://youtu.be/1EqUCoO0jfY
Think I saw that 'Cracker: White Ghost' special. Can't remember much about it. Might pick it up on dvd.
All the best
AP
AP - wow, great information there. You've been really digging about and revealed a lot of stuff I had never heard before. It looks like ITV asia is played on NOW TV here in HK. I have NOW TV but never watch it (otherwise I would subscribe to the Celestial Classics channel), but I'll investigate and see if I can get any freebies thrown in (been subscribed for 6 years but only ever bothered with the free stuff).
In the meantime I'll keep my eyes open for Dragon Garden open days, they crop up now and again.
The Cracker special was a bit crap to be honest, but would love to see it again to check out the sights and sounds. My one vivid memory of Yellowthread St was the US chick and Bruce Payne trying to speak Cantonese.
Ah memories
Cheers, Phil
Hi,
I'm the one who wrote the article for Commanderbond.net and visited Dragon Garden in 2008. I published a book about the James Bond filming locations that same year and was happy to include that visit in the book.
It's still not open for public, as far as I know. I know Cynthia a little and every now and then I manage to get friends of mine into the place. This year a friend was shown around for hours, and I recall him telling me that the red doors have been re-installed..
Best and keep up the good work with your excellent blog,
Martijn Mulder
A friend of mine visited
Hi Martijn - thanks for the comment. Feel free to leave links to your article and/or book. I'm sure anyone who stumbles across these posts will also be interested in seeing them.
I understand that Cynthia does let the public in if it is pre-arranged, but I think it has to be some sort of group visit. I still haven't made it there myself. I'm glad to hear the doors have been reinstalled and I will perhaps take a trip over that way sometime later in the year to get a glimpse.
Many thanks
Phil
Ok then.. Anyone interested in visiting film locations from the James Bond films around the world, you should take a look at www.onthetracksof007.com . In 2008 I published a book about my 10-year search and travels to the filming locations used in all the James Bond films from 1962 to 2008. The book, obviously also called 'On the tracks of 007' was co-written by Dirk Kloosterboer and features a foreword by Guy Hamilton, the director of Goldfinger ('64), Diamonds Are Forever ('71), Live And Let Die ('73) and Man With The Golden Gun ('74).
He, by the way, vividly recalled working here in Hong Kong at Dragon Garden and loved the place.
Many thanks Martijn. Cheers, Phil
Here are some other links: http://www.dmd-digital.nl/index2.htm
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tracks-007-Guy-Hamilton/dp/9081329413
Cannot believe I missed this place despite living in Hong Kong for several years just after the handover and in fact just up the Castle Peak Road (close to Gold Coast/Wong Gam Hoyon or similar)... Went back in 2019 but only learned today about the fantastic garden. Have to get on a plane to Hong Kong again... Thanks for a very interesting and very comprehensive site featuring so much history and interesting facts! Greetings from Denmark
Hi Mads, I think that the place was in a state of disrepair when you were here and was due to be redeveloped. An uncle stepped in and stumped up the cash to save it. It's now used by a Christian higher educatio college called Lumina College, so I think the chances of a visit have increased. Cheers, Phil
Post a Comment