Edinburgh Place - Now and Then

Whilst snapping some images for a City Hall comparison, I also took the opportunity to do the same for some stills from Weiße Fracht für Hongkong (aka The Mystery of the Red Jungle). Also shot in 1963, this movie was filmed in colour and shows the area around the soon-to-be-demolished Star Ferry multi-storey carpark.

Honestly, just looking at the background of the first images below is enough to make me depressed. Apparently it's called "progress".

City Hall high block as seen from Edinburgh Place

Killer Angels - Moon Lee (1989) - Queen's Pier, Central

Queen's Pier is the location where Michael is sent to kill Moon as she stands looking across the harbour at the signboards on Ocean Terminal.

Awarapan - Emraan Hashmi (2007) - Star Ferry Car Park, Edinburgh Place

This place is currently sitting in death row awaiting execution. Built in 1957, it was part of the Star Ferry pier infrastructure that suddenly became orphaned when the pier was demolished in 2006. Sadly, I was in Hong Kong for that debacle and the subsequent porky pies trotted out the the then development secretary who assured everyone the pier's clock was to be preserved (it wasn't). Anyway, I'm pretty sure this will go soon if it hasn't already (you can tell I don't go to the Island much).

Anyway, we've seen this place on numerous occasions before now, including quite a few films shooting scenes on the open top floor.

In Awarapan, this is where Shivam is confronted by his arch enemy, Munna, Malik's spoilt son.

...and Millions will die! - Richard Basehart (1973) - Edinburgh Place, Central

A last post from this movie before we move on and it's the location where Gallagher's minion grabs hold of Pruit and forces him into a waiting car to take him back to the Excelsior. The building with the circular window apertures is the Connaught Centre (now Jardine House). This was completed in 1973 and by the looks of the imges below it still had some temporary construction lifts running up the side of it (second image) when the film was shot.

Karate from Shaolin Temple - Kazuma Kenji (1976) - Murray Road, Central

Musashi is followed to a restaurant where the gangster catches up with him and asks him to go and see his boss. The gang boss is a big martial arts fan and has extended an invite to visit and chat with him. 

This screencap shows the view up Murray Road in Central. In the far background is the Murray Barrack Building which was famously "reconstructed" in Stanley. The government insists it was rebuilt brick by brick, but this is a lie. A new concrete core was poured and the building's external structures (pillars, balconies etc) were then hung onto the new structure. When it comes to heritage preservation in Hong Kong, take what the Govt says with a large pinch of salt.

I believe the structure on the right might be the old Furama Hotel which would put the car on the east section of Edinburgh Place rather than Murray Road. The old Murray Road carpark can be seen at the back left. This was demolished a few years ago and replaced by an enormous carbuncle called "The Henderson".

Karate from Shaolin Temple - Kazuma Kenji (1976) - City Hall

The bloke harassing Musashi at the airport continues his haranguing of the man even after he has left and is strolling through the local streets. For a man who has come to Hong Kong looking for a fight, Musashi doesn't seem very keen to take this bloke up on his offer. He finally caves and the pair square up in front of City Hall. This is the fight where Musashi is observed by some local gangsters who later approach him to see their boss.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - Stephen Rea (1995) - The Peak Tram Open Top Bus, Central

I'm not sure if this thing still runs, I don't think it does but I could be wrong because I have only just made it back up to the Peak following a break of almost 10 years. Lots has changed. I didn't see this bus around so I assume it has gone the way of many other great things (some tangible, some not so) in Hong Kong and disappeared.

 Anyway, back during my multiple trips in the 90s you used to be able to catch this free, dedicated open-top bus from Edinburgh Place, outside the old Star Ferry pier. It didn't go to the Peak, it just trundled up to the Lower Peak Tram Terminus, offload and refill passengers, and then go back down again, but it was a short and very enjoyable journey through a small part of Central. Did I mention it was free? Nikos and Li do the same in the film, although they don't appear to be quite as excited about it as I used to get all those years ago.

Fun fact: when I first moved to Hong Kong in 2006, I think a one way ticket on the peak tram was HK$14, and a return $28. Now it's $62 for a one way trip and $88 for a return and each tram now has four carriages (it used to be two).

Police Story 2 - Jackie Chan (1988) - Star Ferry Car Park, Edinburgh Place

I believe this final 1950s-era monument to the former Star Ferry infrastructure in Central is also about to be redeveloped. What it will be replaced with is hardto tell because my understanding is that HSBC's lease secures them an open view to the harbour in front to allow good superstitious bullshit fung shui. Anything taller than a couple of storeys will probably not be allowed. This could be some of the usual Hong Kong folk lore though rather than reality, I guess time will tell. It's seen its fair share of movie and TV shoots over the years and in Police Story 2 it is the location where the explosives supplier is abducted by the bombing gang because they know he talked to the police when he was arrested. Again, for some reason this is another brief shot that was cut from the Cantonese (i.e. Fortune Star) DVD release.

City on Fire - Chow Yun Fat (1987) - Queen's Pier, Edinburgh Place

Ko Chow has a clandestine meeting with his handler, Inspector Liu, on Edinburgh Place in Central. The opening shot shows Ko Chow waiting at Queen's Pier before he sees the inspector's car arrive. The scene was shot with the car pointing in a variety of angles so we get to also see a bit of City Hall and the very much missed old Star Ferry pier.

For some reason,this shot above shows the car pointing at City Hall

Tokyo Gang vs Hong Kong Gang - Ken Takakura (1964) - Edinburgh Place, Central

Kitahara disembarks the ferry and heads out of the pier to catch a cab on Edinburgh place. Chang, the member of the rival Hong Kong gang, follows him out and also jumps in a passing cab. The car park on the right is the old Star Ferry pier carpark and was opened in 1957, making it one of the oldest structures in the area. It's actually the very last link to the old Star Ferry pier that was demolished in 2006 and so is quite historical, but because it's a carpark it's not deemed worthy of preservation. The ugly G.P.O on the other hand, a literal concrete block, opened twenty years later (making it younger than me) somehow attracts calls for preservation.

Black Cobra Woman - Laura Gemser (1976) - Edinburgh Place, Central

There is a quick scene filmed around Edinburgh Place when Eva and another of her girlfriends are being taken by rickshaw past the old Star Ferry terminal. In the background of the first image is the General Post Office still under a bit of scaffolding. It opened in 1976 so this ties nicely in with the filming. Actually, I believe it's about to undergo redevelopment. There's been a bit of a murmur from the built heritage activists but, in my opinion, there are far more nicer and older buildings that warrant protection before this one.

China Rose - George C. Scott (1983) - Star Ferry Pier, Central

When Scott realises something is up he races off to the Canton ferry to convince MacGraw to stay and help. In reality the Canton ferry is a Star ferry and it is leaving from the old Star ferry pier in front of Edinburgh Place. Sadly demolished in 2006 to make way for reclamation, it still feels like one of the worst development decisions made by the HK Govt.

Speaking of redevelopment, in the top screen grab at the back is the general Post office, itself now about to be knocked down and redeveloped (although I am not sure of the timetable for it). On the left is the Edinburgh Place car park.

Running through the old pier towards the boat and the ferry entrance/gangplank at the bottom.

Meteor - Sean Connery (1979) - Connaught Road, Central

The tsunami strikes Hong Kong Island after it washes away most of the Yau Ma Tei typhoon shelter. The first place it hits here is the waterfront between Jardine House and City Hall right smack on top of the Edinburgh Place carpark.

Le Monocle Rit Jaune - Paul Meurisse (1964) - Edinburgh Place, Central

"Le Monocle" (Paul Meurisse) can also be briefly seen catching a rickshaw from next to Queen's Pier in Edinburgh Place.

A Queen's Ransom - George Lazenby (1976) - City Hall, Central

Here's a few shots of the area round City Hall. The first shot shows the camera looking west along Connaught Road with the City Hall building on the right hand side. On the extreme left is the lower floors of the Furama Hotel (now replaced with AIA Central building) followed by what was once the home of Cable and Wireless - Mercury House. I'm not sure what year it was demolished but it has since been replaced by the short-lived Ritz Carlton (seen here) and then again by the current building, CCB Tower. Next along is the recognisable form of the old Hong Kong Club building with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel just beyond on the other side of the square.

There is also some archive footage of the Queen visiting City Hall from the harbour side of the building (i.e. what would be off camera to the right in the top picture). 

Weiße Fracht für Hongkong - Dietmar Schönherr (1963) - Queen's Pier, Edinburgh Place

Back to Edinburgh Place for a brief glimpse of Queen's Pier. The odd thing about this scene is that it immediately follows the previous scene at The Ambassador Hotel. The actors, standing at the corner of Nathan and Middle Roads, look past the camera to see some policeman waiting to speak to them, but the policemen are actually over by Queen's Pier!

Weiße Fracht für Hongkong - Dietmar Schönherr (1963) - Edinburgh Place, Central

There's a nice long scene filmed around City Hall and Edinburgh Place including this really nice shot looking over to the old Star Ferry pier.

City Hall was pretty much brand new when this filming took place, it had opened the year before in 1962.

And then a final view looking over the top of the car park towards the also newly completed Mandarin Oriental Hotel.