Visa to Canton - Richard Basehart (1960) - China Merchants Steam Navigation Company Offices, Hong Kong

We interrupt normal broadcasting to post a location from a film that I initially covered during my last stint in the UK, Visa to Canton. I still have a few relatively anonymous street scenes outstanding in terms of indentification but last night managed to pinpoint the location of one after some full on, face-to-computer-screen looking at minute details on old photos.

The key to this one was the building in image 4 (among others). The blurry sign on the front appears to say China Merchants S.N. Cmp Ltd, or something along those lines, but the double columned facade makes it stand out from its neighbours and allowed me to pinpoint it on an old phtotgraph on gwulo (see here). This was enough to confirm the business name and locate it as the current #16 Connaught Road Central. The plot is still owned by one of the China Merchants group companys and currently houses the newly built CM+ Hotel and Serviced apartments (it's one of the current Designated Quarantine Hotels).

What I hadn't realised is that next door (to the right from our point of view) is a building that was still around until quite recently. It's #17, and housed the "Hoi On Cafe" (海安咖啡室). You can see it in image 3 below. Sadly, it looks like I might be too late and if I had managed to identify this lcation laste year, I might have been able to grab a snap. However, I think the site might be getting redeveloped as the cafe has closed and there is a new footprint on Google maps.

Anyway, this seqeunce appears to begin somewhere around #22 and then tracks east (to the left) passing all the shop fronts to around #12. All of these buildings have all been redeveloped and #17 was the final hold out.

Hoi On Cafe (海安咖啡室), replete with vitasoy sign

China Merchants S.N Company Ltd