The Lady Professional - Lily Ho Li-li (1971) - Shatin

Once out of prison, Shi is being driven away when a group of killers attack him. Most of this scene was filmed on the new reclamation for Shatin Town. There is the odd glimpse of the old Shatin Floating Restaurant in the background of some shots when it was moored on the river in front of Wo Che Village. The area where the restaurant was berthed is now the Wo Che Estate which makes the location where this sequence was filmed around where the Wo Che and Lek Yuen Estates now stand. In one scene there is a prominent building in the background which can still be seen today. It's the "Siu Tin Toa Home for the Aged" in Sheung Wo Che Village (see bottom image).

This section above was right next to the restaurant (off camera left)

You can see the floating restaurant in the background of both these shots

Siu Tin Toa Home for the Aged with the red paint.

Yellow Emanuelle - Chai Lee (1977) - Shatin Floating Restaurant

This is only the second time this location has appeared on the blog (the first time was for the French film Le Monocle Rit Jaune - although that was at the original location near Lok Lo Ha). The restaurant was originally opened in 1963 and moved several times before finally closing in 1984. In 1977, the restaurant had reached its final mooring point around where the Lek Yuen Estate now stands. This image on Gwulo shows it moored in that final location, as the reclamation carried on in front - which corresponds with where the Shatin Jockey Club Swimming Pool now stands. The restaurant lasted until 1984. I have no idea what happened to the structure but it was replaced by a concrete version that sits in the river next to the City One estate. 

Le Monocle Rit Jaune - Paul Meurisse (1964) - Shatin Floating Restaurant, Shatin

Well, I mentioned a floating restaurant the other day when we were looking at Aberdeen, but for some reason (perhaps because they needed to film inside as you will see) none of the Aberdeen based (or the Tai Pak at Castle Peak Bay) were used. Instead the film makers moved to Shatin and utilised the floating restaurant there that was once moored on the banks of the Shatin Sea.

Shatin's transformation from small market village into a massive modern New Town involved a significant amount of reclamation work and the once sea inlet was shrunk down by man made banks and turned into the modern day nullah that goes by the misleading name of the Shing Mun River.

Anyway, not only is this the first time I have seen this place used as a filming location (at least in terms of foreign films) there are a few famous faces to spot in the group of kung fu thugs who turn up to attack the French detectives.

The restaurant was moored approximately where the modern day swimming pool centre stands on the opposite side of the Lek Yuen estate. It's unclear when the restaurant was removed (or indeed, where it went) but the reclamation of the sea started in the 1970's. Anyone who has been to Shatin will know that there is a modern day replacement on the opposite side of the nullah. It's currently run by the Ming Sing restaurant chain and although modeled to look like a floating restaurant, is actually made of concrete. Well, I guess at least it's typhoon proof.

Gwan Jing-leung leads his motley crew across the gangway

Restaurant entrance

And finally a closeup of the thugs. Bruce Lee fans might recognise the chap on the centre right. It's Unicorn Chan, Lee's childhood friend who helped Lee contact the various HK studios on his return to HK. He was also the star of Fist of Unicorn - some information about that can be seen here.