Shek O Bus Terminus - Now and Then

Not a great amount of time has passed since Contagion was filmed in Hong Kong - it was released in 2011 - so there's not a great amount of difference between the next two shots other than the fact that the building has since undergone some redecoration. It's funny, but the AMO (Antiquities and Monuments Office) grading report for the bus terminus mentions the film as well. This is the first time I've seen this, so perhaps the Govt is slowly coming around to leveraging Hong Kong's popular use as a filming location? Probably not. Anyway, here are the images. Remember, in the movie, this location is supposed to be over in the Mainland.

Contagion - Matt Damon (2011) - Shek O Bus Terminus, Hong Kong

Although supposedly just over the border in Guangdong province, this scene was actually filmed about as far away from the border as you can actually get within Hong Kong - way down in deepest darkest Shek O.

Keep an eye out for the building on the far right of the second screencap. Why? Because it's the locally famous Shek O Bus Terminus building. The filmmakers did a good job at hiding its identity by sprawling a blue banner (replete with simplified Chinese writing - as you would expect to see over the border) but for anyone who has been there, I am sure this locale would be instantly recognisable.

Anyway, this is the scene when the wife/girlfriend (played by Josie Ho) of the dead waiter is on a bus headed back to the motherland with her recently deceased other-half's ashes. I can't see the trees that are centre screen on the Streetview (see below) shot so will assume they were put there to hide something from the camera. Believe it or not, the bus terminus building was built in the 1950's and even has a Grade 2 listing - not that that offers any protection from it being bulldozed...