Forbidden Nights - Melissa Gilbert (1990) - Sai Kung Waterfront

Shapiro and Liang have a bit of a quarrel. This was filmed along the waterfront in Sai Kung Town near the original public pier (background of top image). In the background of the lower image you can see Sharp Island.

Forbidden Nights - Melissa Gilbert (1990) - Chinese YMCA Wu Kai Sha Village

Many of the scenes set in and around the college grounds were also filmed across the bay at the Chinese YMCA village in Wu Kai Sha. The village has remained relatively unchanged since 1990 with the exception of the old chapel/hall seen in the screencaps below. This hall was later demolished and a replacement constructed on an adjacent plot. The old hall had a large cross stuck to the front above the main doors and this was dealt with by the film crew by covering it in the Chinese flag during filming. I managed to find an old image of it from the Chinese YMCA website and have put it below for comparison.

Several other scenes were also shot at the camp, including the small park where the students hang out by a statue (top image) and also by the waterfront where Shapiro and Liang secretly meet to avoid scrutiny (second image). The lower images are of the old chapel building and the sportsground in front of it. 

Ma On Shan in the background

Wu Kai Sha Public Pier, Pat Sin Leng on the right

The old chapel/hall, also seen in the background below

The old chapel/hall, since demolished Source: Chinese YMCA website

Forbidden Nights - Melissa Gilbert (1990) - St Christopher's Home, Tai Po

I alluded to a new location in my first post for this film and here it is. In the film this is the main location of Shapiro's college. The exterior courtyard and college buildings are located in what was once the St. Christopher's Home, an orphange run by the Anglican Church along Tai Po Road near Tai Po Kau.

Several years ago I was involved in tracking down a plot of land for Sean Olson, a Gwulo user who was tracing his Hong Kong roots and trying to set straight some of his incorrectly reported family history. The land was owned by some recent ancestors and was donated by them, to the church, when they left Hong Kong/passed away. There is a bit more information here. Sadly, Sean is no longer with us either, but I did manage to trace his land down and solve a bit of a mystery.

It turns out that the Anglican Church later sold the orphanage site to Li Ka-shing, who then promptly demolished the whole thing and constructed Deerhill Bay. The plot of land I helped identify appears to have been forfeited to the Government and was largely split in two when the curve in Tai Po Road here was straightened. Later on a couple of schools were built on the site of Sean's ancestral land.

Anyway, I digress. It seems that not long before it was redeveloped, the orphanage site stood in for the rural Chinese college where Shapiro taught English. The courtyard location you see below coincides with the current development's swimming pool - between the current clubhouse and block 9.

Forbidden Nights - Melissa Gilbert (1990) - Yuen Yuen Institute, Tsuen Wan

This next film is a made-for-TV biopic that details the experience of Judith Shapiro when she went to China to teach English in 1979. It stars Melissa Gilbert as Shapiro and Robin Shou as her love interest, Liang Heng (spoiler alert: later, husband), and their clandestine affair that causes all kinds of trouble for everyone. There are some interesting locations used in the film, including one which I have been familiar with for quite some time but never knew it was ever used in a film, until now. More on that in a later post.

One of the first main locations is the Yuen Yuen Institute which is used as the backdrop for Shapiro's trip to Beijing. Those familar with this place will know it contains an ornate pagoda modeled on the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Given that this film was shot circa 1990, it's no surprise that the film makers chose Hong Kong as the substitute given the events of the previous year and the touchy film subplot (dare I even say it in the current Hong Kong political environment) concerning democracy protests. The film also has a co-starring role from Tzi Ma. Both he and Robin Shou no doubt fresh off their filming for Yellowthread Street the year prior. Tzi played Det. Eddie Pak throughout the whole series and Shou apeared in the episode The Red Pole.
 

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Martin Freeman (2005) - View of Hong Kong

Another entry for the "Brief Glimpse" category of my blog where I feature films that didn't really shoot here but used images of Hong Kong as part of the story. In the case of The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Hong Kong is seen in the start of the film as the Vogons turn up to demolish earth and make an announcement as people around the world scream in terror. Hong Kong is one the cities shown with a soundtrack of screaming people played over the scene.

As you can see, the view shows Wanchai with Central Plaza looming large centre right.

Arthur Street - Now and Then

Arthur Street, as seen in Golden Needles, was one of my pandemic finds and I recently went back to try and get some comparison shots...with mixed results. I also later remembered it also features briefly in Infernal Affairs. I'll try and go back and get some more images to compare with that movie now that I am living closer to the area (compared to where I just moved from).

Also, this is in part a bit of a memoriam because Frances Si Ming, who plays Su Lin in the film, recently passed away in March 2026. And of course, Joe Don Baker passed away in May 2025. RIP to both of these actors.

I initially thought that the only surviving building in this area is the one with the horizontal ledges above the windows that can be seen in the first images below (and in the background of the lower images). This is #2 Man Ming Lane and was constructed in 1952. However, it looks like the yellow building in the background with the ground floor store (with the 7-Up) sign is still around and, as you can see, is currently wrapped in scaffolding and construction netting. This is Sheung On House and was constructed in 1972. 

Joe Don Baker and Frances Si Ming R.I.P

The buildings on the left have since been redeveloped

There's still a No Entry sign here

Fast and Furious 6 - Vin Diesel (2013) - Central Harbourfront

In the spirit of my "Brief Glimpses" category, here is the establishing shot for the Hong Kong scenes filmed for Fast and Furious 6. Only this establishing shot was actually filmed here because the sequence that follows is very obviously not Hong Kong.

Anyway, for completeness, here are the shots, done by drone it seems, of the "Central Piers" section of the waterfront with 2IFC looming large in the middle.

Eternity - Elliot Travers (2013) - Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront

More soul searching as Manning ponders his future along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. In this image the top of Central Plaza has been mysteriously lopped off and some "futuristic" lights have been added. 

Eternity - Elliot Travers (2013) - Gage Street, Central

A brief shot of Manning as he wanders his home town pondering whether or not to partake in the transference program. This shows the top end of Gage Street at the junction with Cochrane Street and Lyndhurst Terrace.

Eternity - Elliot Travers (2013) - Exchange Square, Central

The Police HQ is located in "The Forum" in Exchange Square. You won't recognise it these days, though, because not long after this film was made, the building (previously a small mall) was redeveloped into an office building occupied by Standard Chartered. It doesn't look like this anymore and instead is a sort of skewed glass cube.

Eternity - Elliot Travers (2013) - YMCA Salisbury, Tsim Sha Tsui

In another flashback we watch Manning being given an ultimatum by his boss - do the transference program or forget about any future promotions. This scene was filmed on the roof top of the south block of the YMCA Salisbury in TST. Look carefully and you can see some digitally added skyscrapers in the background.

Hong Kong skyline, with some additions

Eternity - Elliot Travers (2013) - Queen's Road Central

A flashback scene, showing us how Manning's wife (Amy Tsang) was desperately against him entering the "Transference" program, was shot on Queen's Road Central. A hundred metres or so up from the junction with Pedder Street. There is also a later shot of him and family walking along next to the junction with Wyndham Street (last image below).

Eternity - Elliot Travers (2013) - Central Piers

This next film is another story that shares common ground with the recently looked at Expired. Both are low-budget, antipodean sci-fi productions that use Hong Kong for its "futuristic" ambience but you end up wondering why they bothered coming here given the general use of not-particularly futuristic locations. Of course, that might just be my perception of Hong Kong from living here for 20+ years.

This film is about a detective, Richard Manning (Elliot Travers) who inadvertantly messes up a case when a hacker he is interrogating commits suicide right in front of him. To make up for his mistake, Manning is given the opportunity (along with a bunch of other peeps in similar circumstances) to partake in "Transference": a cutting edge technology that allows the user to be beamed into a computer simulation in order to solve a crime. The winner, the first one to solve it, is released from the computer simulation and can continue their career. The losers must remain. Although it doesn't mention what happens after. Once inside, however, a virus takes over the system causing it to endlessly loop and the only escape is to solve the crime before the next memory wipe and reboot!

The story is marred by extremely poor acting, and a script trying to be far too clever for its own good. You do wonder, like with Expired, why the crew bothered coming to Hong Kong to film when it features so little and adds nothing to the story. Far better are the New Zealand locations which, I believe, include the Two Paddocks wine estate of the recently late, and very great, Sam Neill (R.I.P).

Anyway, the opening scene starts with the botched interrogation and the police are operating out of an unnamed futuristic city that Hong Kong provides the backdrop for. This view looks to be the one from the (currently closed) walkway that connected the IFC Mall with the ferry piers. It's currently decommissioned as another architecturally-dubious mall development - Central Yards - is constructed along the waterfront.

North Kowloon Magistracy - Now and Then

I used to live in the area and was always walking past this rather magnificent building on the way to and from Shek Kip Mei. Before moving apartments I made an effort to actually stop and try to capture some comparisons with some of the screencaps I took from Donnie Yen's excellent Flash Point. He may not be the world's best actor but Donnie has been and still remains, even in his 60s, one of Hong Kong's foremost action movie stars. I for one am looking forward to John Wick: Caine (currently filming in Hong Kong as I write this in August 2026 - along with Henry Cavill's Highlander reboot, apparently).

The North Kowloon Magistracy building was constructed in 1960 and served as the main courtroom for most of Kowloon - particularly following the closure/repurposing of the South Kowloon Magistracy on Gascoigne Road which now serves as the Lands Tribunal. For several years the building was leased to the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) but that rather useful repurposing came to a shuddering halt following the imposition of strict Covid regulations in 2020. Other than a bit of a touch-up the following year - mainly to remove the SCAD sign from above the main entrance - the building appears to have just been sitting empty for the past 6 years. It's such a shame because it's a great building, but I suspect the internal layout and location might make it difficult to repurpose as anything other than some sort of adult education centre.

If you have seen Flash Point, you will know that the main antagonist, Archer (Ray Lui), goes to court after being caught by the police. He has to surrender his travel documents but otherwise can go free.

Double Dhamaal - Sanjay Dutt (2011) - View from Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho

Some more digital manipulation in the final scenes of this movie as the gang are chased along a road by the local gangsters. The problem with this scene is that the view in the background looks real enough, it has recognisable buildings, but has actually been digitally superimposed onto the background. How do I know this? Because the view has been inadvertantly reversed. The background view shows a mirror image of the view when you travel along the Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho looking towards the Macau mainland. So I assume this last sequence was shot back in India and touched up later.

Double Dhamaal - Sanjay Dutt (2011) - Cemitério Hau Si, Taipa

Kabir has a meeting with local gangster Johnny Bonzela. This was filmed in the Cemitério Hau Si, located on the north side of Tai Pa (former) Island.

Double Dhamaal - Sanjay Dutt (2011) - St Paul's Facade, Macau

The wedding scene was shot in front of Macau's most famous historical landmark.