The Taxi Driver - David Chiang (1975) - True Light Lane, Kowloon Tong

The gang are waiting for Chen at True Light Lane in Kowloon Tong. This location is right next to the current entrance to Kowloon True Light Middle School and looks more or less the same today with the exception of the background which back in 1975 was a small hill but these days has Festival Walk sitting on it.

The Taxi Driver - David Chiang (1975) - Kent Road, Kowloon Tong

On the fateful day, Chen is targeted by the gang's girlfriend, and directed to a drop off point where they can hijack his car. On the way there we see him driving down Kent Road.

The Taxi Driver - David Chiang (1975) - Kent Road Garden, Kowloon Tong

Chen goes for a picnic with his girlfriend. This was filmed at the Kent Road Garden in Kowloon Tong. The circular pavilion - a popular design in the 1960s and 70s in Hong Kong (they can be found in quite a few places) - is still there although the garden doesn't look quite as nice.

The Taxi Driver - David Chiang (1975) - Cornwall Street, Kowloon Tong

To Fat is supposed to be parked at the junction with Waterloo Road and Cornwall Street but as you can see, this stationary shot was filmed after they had already turned onto Cornwall Street because that's Hillsea Court at #10 in the background.

This isn't the only time we see Cornwall Street though as there are shots later in the film that were also filmed there. This one below was also shot whilst driving past Hillsea Court. The place stills looks the same, even down to the red trim.

These next few shots were filmed riving back the other direction and show a building on the south side of Cornwall Street. It's #22 Kent Road and at one point in its like was the location for the famous "Take One" nightclub where Anita Mui was slapped by a gangster for not singing. He was then attacked and killed in his hospital bed. It was a very famous story in Hong Kong at the time. It was a private temple for a while but has stood empty for most of the time I have been in Hong Kong, but has recently been sold and is undergoing some renovation right now.

The Taxi Driver - David Chiang (1975) - Waterloo Road, Kowloon Tong

In another scene, Chen and his friend, To Fat (Wang Chung), are stopped at the lights on the junction of Waterloo Road and Cornwall Street. The wall on the right is still there, looks the same and even is still painted the same colours. In the background you can see the former Osborn Barracks (now P.L.A Kowloon East Barracks) and just tucked away on the left is HKT Telephone exchange building on the corner of Junction Road.

The Taxi Driver - David Chiang (1975) - Devon Road, Kowloon Tong

 Chen's first fare for the day is a couple who flag him down as he is driving up Devon Road. All the properties on the right hand side have been demolished and replaced by the offices of the Mormon Church.

The Lady Professional - Lily Ho Li-li (1971) - Waterloo Road, Kowloon Tong

After a brief interlude whereby Tian-li deals with more would be assassins (including two baldies played by Bolo Yeung and Chih Yuen) by putting one through a cement mixer - it's a bit like the woodchipper scene in Fargo - she heads to the airport in a taxi, dressed as a nun.

This shot shows the taxi driving down the slope at the north end of Waterloo Road. Most of the buildings you see are still around. The only really change is the addition of the north/south flyover that avoids the various traffic lights stops around Cornwall Street.

Cornwall Street - Now and Then

After recently covering The Angel Strikes Again, I thought a modern day comparison for the Cornwall Street shots might be interesting. It's a good way of showing just how cluttered Hong Kong is these days compared to back in the 1960s before mass redevelopment took hold (and never let go).

This initial shot shows the view looking towards Waterloo Road and Baptist Hospital from just near to the Cornwall Street Children's Playground. The building in the background is the original block of Baptist Hospital that was demolished just recently (at the end of 2025). The multi-port hydrant was part of the emergency infrastructure for Kai Tak airport in case of a crash in the vicinity. The hill on the left hand side is where the original Baptist College and sports ground were located, and just visible in the background, barely discernable, is the further hill where Broadcast Drive is located. Let's just say there have been some changes.

In my lower image above (taken on 7th May 2026), you can see the sole remaining item from the original film capture is the multi-port fire hydrant. As mentioned, the original block (later renamed Block A) of the Baptist Hospital has now gone. The slope contained the Baptist College is now taken up by more buildings belonging to what is now called Baptist University. Notice that the hydrant is still at the edge of the pavement, however, there is now a second kerb further to the left and the space inbetween is filled with planters and trees. This is the same along this whole stretch of road. Perhaps the biggest change though is the flyover above Waterloo Road which allows traffic to skip the lights at the intersections with Cornwall Street and Junction Road.

Here's the view looking the other way. The current development here is more obvious because there is now a row of mid-rise apartment buildings along the opposite side of the road in the distance. A comparison shot is underneath. You can just make out the old property located at #2 Cornwall Street that was replaced by the rather unsubtle Mormon Church building. I do like the fact that the current view has a lot of trees though. You can see in the lower image where the extended section of the pavement, filled withtaxis in the film capture, now has trees and other plants.

The Angel Strikes Again - Lily Ho (1968) - Cornwall Street, Kowloon Tong

We've seen Cornwall Street a few times in the past few months (e.g Inter-pol, The Young Rebel) but in this film we get to see the Baptist Hospital from a closer angle. Believe it or not the multi-port hydrant is still there, at least for the time being. These "heavy draw off" hydrants were placed strategically underneath the old Kai Tak flight path so that in the event of a plane crash there would be enough water and hoses to deal with any subsequent fire. They're a bit of a dying breed these days and are slowly but surely being removed. Gwulo has an (old) list of the remaining ones here.

The Angel Strikes Again - Lily Ho (1968) - Waterloo Road, Kowloon Tong

Agent 009 has a special device that irradiates people so they can be tracked. She uses it to mark the gang boss and then follows her out of the cinema. The first place we see them drive is along Waterloo Road. The first image shows the section outside the Maryknoll school near Boundary Street (you can see the dark brown brick of the school on the left). The remaining images shows the junction with Rutland Quadrant furthr to the north. There used to be an open nullah running right up the middle of Waterloo Road and you can see its low brick wall surround in the top three images.

Bullet for Hire - Simon Yam (1991) - Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong

Shan gets involved with one of the girls at the sauna and picks her up after work after paying off her debt to a local gangster. They take a taxi to Kowloon Tong which at the time was full of "Love Motels". There are still afew around but they are not quite as prolific as they used to be. The O.MAS Hotel was still around until a few years ago. I don't think it's operating anymore but the neon sign was still there during the last Google Streetview sweep. I can't remember seeing it the last time I walked this way though.

The Young Rebel - David Chiang (1975) - 20 Kent Road, Kowloon Tong

Yet another Kowloon Tong location and this one with a bit of intriguing history behind it. The headquarters of the opposing gang is located at 20 Kent Road in Kowloon Tong. Xiao Rong is sent there by his boss to kill their boss. Failure to comply resulting in the death of his mum and sister. So he heads there on his motorbike. This one took a bit of locating because the property and it surroundings have changed significantly over the years. But there are a couple of clues that have helped lead to the identification. The first is the garden wall in the background of the first shot, behind the bike. This section of the wall doesn't exist anymore but there remains a section of it a little further up, belonging to #27 Kent Road.

The second clue comes from the background in the other direction. As Xiao Rong enters and leaves the property, we catch a glimpse of the roof of a property behind. It's quite a distinctive roof and, thankfully, is still around today. It belongs to the former "Air House" located at 1a Cornwall Street (the same building that was captured on camera in this post).

Sadly the property at #20 has changed significantly over the years and it was just recently demolished and completely rebuilt into a new building. What's interesting about this place, and you may already know this if you ever read my old, now deleted, history blog, is that it was the private house of infamous heroin kingpin, Ng Sik-ho aka "Limpy Ho".

Coincidentally (or not), Ho was convicted for his crimes in 1975, the same year this film was made, so it's quite possible the house was available for filming once it had been examined by the people investigating his crime. I have no idea who owned it at the time. In a later incarnation it was turned into a "Love Motel" (called the Kent Motel, I think?, the Chinese name was 根德小築) much in the same way as Bruce Lee's old house was. The owner basically filled in all the open spaces of the property (that can be seen in the screecaps) and turned it into a big rectangular block with maximum interior space (for max profits/usage) and operated it until around the time that COVID hit. Following its closure the building was demolished and redeveloped.

The house at the rear is 1a Cornwall Street

The Young Rebel - David Chiang (1975) - Devon Road, Kowloon Tong

Another Kowloon Tong location as Xiao Rong is on his way to a job with another gangster. Their car is hit by a delivery boy on a bike and Rong takes pity on him and chastises his gansgter colleague for hitting the guy. The initial image shows us the view up Devon Road from Somerset Road.

The Young Rebel - David Chiang (1975) - Kent Road Garden Alleyway, Kowloon Tong

Another Kowloon Tong location as the bike chase continues down the alleyway that connects Kent Road Garden with True Light Lane. In the second image you can see the wall of the Kowloon True Light Middle School. The last image is the view into Kent Road as Gen Lai (Ti Lung) happens to be riding by when Rong is being attacked.

The Young Rebel - David Chiang (1975) - Suffolk Road, Kowloon Tong

The bike chase continues as we move from Princess Margaret Road and Cornwall Street to Suffolk Road. Interestingly, the rather striking wrought iron gate you can see in the background (top image) is still in place on the front gate of #10. (see here: GoogleEarth). That's also the top of the wall of #10 in the lower image, but they have since filled in the gaps with some concrete lattice.

The Young Rebel - David Chiang (1975) - To Fuk Road, Kowloon Tong

Another look at the lower end of To Fuk Road between Norfolk Road and York Road (although I believe it was nameless at the time). This is the same area we see in The Generation Gap, but in this film we get a much better view of the southwest entrance to the old army base that was here. The area below is now a roundabout where To Fuk Road joins Norfolk Road.

The Young Rebel - David Chiang (1975) - Pathway next to the KCR track, Kowloon Tong

This location can also be seen in The Generation Gap. It was a grassy pathway running along the east side of the old KCR rail track. With the subsequent development of Kowloon Tong, this pathway became part of what is now To Fuk Road.

The Young Rebel - David Chiang (1975) - True Light Lane, Kowloon Tong

Before the MTR came along and built Kowloon Tong Station, True Light Lane used to run all the way down to Suffolk Road. There's no longer a #1 Kent Road because it was removed, along with the lower section of True Light Lane, to make way for the current MTR station, and True Light Lane now joins Kent Road through what was previously part of the northern section of that property. The image below shows you what True Light Lane looked like before it was redeveloped. The buildings in the background belong to the lower section of Beacon Hill Road, just above Cornwall Street.

The Young Rebel - David Chiang (1975) - Kent Road, Kowloon Tong

There is a large amount of this film shot in and around the streets of Kowloon Tong. In this next scene we are looking up Kent Road towards the junction with Somerset Road. You too can repeat this view today by simply exiting Kowloon Tong MTR at exit G and looking left.

The Young Rebel - David Chiang (1975) - Cornwall Street, Kowloon Tong

Our first proper outdoor location is Cornwall Street, and it's a road that crops up multiple times throughout the film, so I have tried to include all its appearances in this one post.

Our first view is along the north side as Gen Lai and Xiao Rong walk along as Rong takes his anger over his father's death out on other people's property. This initial location is next to what is now the Mormon Church at #2 Cornwall Street. For context, Gwulo has a great image of the older property here and you can spot the very same wall seen below. The gateway seen in the third image below is located at the very far left of the Gwulo image and corresponds to #4.

Block A of Baptist Hospital in the background has just been demolished (Dec 2025)

 

The next appearance of Cornwall Street is during a sequence when Xiao Rong attempts his first delivery "up the Peak". The section of the road he is on is the bridge that crosses the old KCR railtrack

Xiao Rong also makes a delivery to "Villa Cornwall", still located at #12 Cornwall Street.

Next we see Xiao Rong trying to bike away from pursuing bike-riding gangsters. This is a similar view (looking east) to one of the first images above showing Baptist Hospital in the background.

The final image below shows Rong fleeing on his motorcycle following his killing of the opposing gangster boss. In the background is Hillsea Court at #10 Cornwall Street (also still around).