Thursday, May 14, 2026
Tragic Hero - Chow Yun Fat (1987) - Tip Choi Villa, Barbecue Gardens
As in the first film, Chai's luxury family home is located in a 1960s era housing estate along Castle Peak Road called Barbecue Gardens. Apparently it was quite famous for having lots of stars living there in the 1960s. These days a few of the original houses remain. Chai's house, as can be seen here in Rich and Famous, was Tip Choi Villa at #11. The house is still around but I have no idea who owns it or lives there.
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I don't think this was the original 1950s/60s house. It looks to have been rebuilt or expanded significantly. This version of the house appeared in numerous TV series, though the only one that comes to mind at the moment is TVB's The Feud of Two Brothers.
ReplyDeleteQuite sure the interior was not used in The Feud, but I'm also sure that I've seen it before in one of the series that filmed here. I'll have a poke around.
You're correct, Rodney. Looking at an old 1963 aerial image, the original house didn't have the curved section seen in the 2nd image. Also, the garden was extended significantly afterwards to include the area where the pool is. It wasn't as big originally. In fact I would say the garden area is about twice the size as it was originally.
DeleteAnother TVB series that this version of Tip Choi Villa appeared in was 1987's The SIB Files. It used only the garden and pool area. However, it seems I saw the interior in the following Leslie Cheung, Elisa Chan music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6ZVIqonafQ
ReplyDeleteThe footage at around the 2:15 mark was from another Leslie-Elisa duet that was filmed in an old white colonial house. That house was likewise in numerous old TV series and was located at 12 Bowen Road. Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAyv2hfw8IU
nice find, Rodney. I have no idea where that second building is. The balustrade is seared into my brain now so if I see it in future I will know haha
DeleteSo it seems the film used the real interior of Tip Choi Villa. I haven't seen it in its entirely in decades. The presence of Alex Man is enough to put me off and I'd rather not see Tsing Bik Villa in its last days. Man's acting wasn't so unhinged in his Reddifusion days.
ReplyDeletePhil, the house in the second link was at 12 Bowen Road. It was subject of some controversy, when it was felled for the development of the current Hong Villa development. I don't believe it had a name when it was a house. Its vehicle entrance was on Borrett Road, as it is today. However, it had stairs that went all the way down from the garden to a gate on Bowen Road.
Thanks Rodney. That's one for the memory bank. I'm sure it will crop up in the future sometime. I quite enjoyed the film despite Pauline Wong getting needlessly shot in the head...booo!
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