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.

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.

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.

Narazumono - Ken Takakura (1964) - The Cenotaph, Central

A further meeting between Minami and the Japanese lady takes place at the Cenotaph in Central. Lots of nice views around the whole area including the elegant former Hong Kong Club. Sadly, Queen's Building had already gone by this time, replaced by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel a couple of years prior to filming.

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.

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.

Push - Chris Evans (2009) - Edinburgh Place, Central

The car park at Edinburgh Place in Central has featured in plenty of films covered on this blog dating as far back as the 1970's. Sadly, it sound as though the future of the car park is no longer assured and there have been murmurs about the space being redeveloped. So, before that happens, here's another view from the top floor looking towards the HSBC building and back the other way towards the harbour.

Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold - Tamara Dobson (1975) - Edinburgh Place, Central

Following on from the nearby HMS Tamar, the next scene has Jones walking down to try and hail a cab outside the Star ferry piers. Of course the pier has long since gone - getting demolished almost 10 years ago now - but the adjacent car park in Edinburgh Place is still around and has featured on this blog before.

Another recently removed pier in the above shot: Queen's Pier. Although (rumour has it) it has/will be replaced in its original position (as a monument) once all the faffing about with the reclamation is finished. Don't hold your breath just yet.

Outside Star Ferry. In the background of the above and below screen captures you can make out some of the buildings that used to front the harbour along Connaught Road.

Here is a rather nice shot of Tien Ni with Edinburgh Place as a backdrop. The building behind her head is the City Hall building (on the left) and the former Supreme Court and LegCo building (on the right) - and of course there's the familiar side of the car park.

Finishing on a high, here is the famous Star Ferry clock. There were various proposals made to try and preserve this artifact once the pier was demolished, and I believe the Govt were quite open to it (in hindsight, probably another hollow gesture), however, as is typical in Hong Kong, someone decided it would look better buried under several feet of refuse at the Tuen Mun landfill.

Shatter - Stuart Whitman (1974) - Around Connaught Road Central

A few shots that I figured were worth combining because they are all really closely clustered around the small area where Edinburgh Place meets Connaught Road.

First we see (albeit a bit blurry in the background) the old Edinburgh Place carpark. It's still going strong as I write but who knows how long that will last. I've stuck a rough comparison after each one courtesy of Streetview.

The next one shows somewhere that has changed. A little further around Edinburgh Place (it's a small loop road that runs around the carpark) is the view of the old Star Ferry Pier which was still there until 2006.

As you can see the view these days is slightly less inspiring and I think most people will agree that HK is worse off now this area has changed.

Next we pop over a few metres to Connaught Road with a view down towards the old G.P.O. We can still see part of the old roof of the subway on the right. The subway is still there of course (though now there is less reason to use it) but the roof has been put back significantly and replaced with a new structure. Also we can see the Mandarin Oriental on the left and St George's Building behind it. Both buildings are still here but the one behind those - Chater House - is a more recent build. The grand old G.P.O was replaced by Worldwide House and this has to be one of the biggest travesties of HK redevelopment because the old building was quite spectacular. There are still some other relics left over at the back but I did a better post on this here.

Finally, the camera turns and we get to see to the east from this point (the last shot is looking west). Another travesty of a heritage preservation as this grand old building, the Hong Kong Club, was removed to make way for the current version. City Hall can be seen on the left along with the Connaught Road end of the car park and the Cenotaph on the right hand side.

Yellowthread Street (TV Series) - Bruce Payne (1990) - Edinburgh Place, Central

More specifically the carpark that has sat here for many years. Interestingly, once referred to as the Star Ferry Multi-storey Car Park on local maps but since the sad demolition of that famous ferry pier, it's now just the Edinburgh Place car park.

This scene involves a bit of action as the cops follow the Middleman down from the Peak and a gunfight ensues when some local gangsters turn up and he escapes in a cloud of burnin' rubber.

Bottom of the carpark ramp with the HK Club in the background

Noble House (Mini series) - Pierce Brosnan (1988) - Edinburgh Place, Central

Edinburgh Place has featured quite a few times on this blog now, and here we see it once again with its recognisable (and still standing...for the time being) car park. You can see Jardine House and the main post office at the back and on the far right of the second picture is the roof extension/cover for the Star Ferry entrance, now all gone along with the pier itself.

I'm sure at some point this car park will be considered a design classic - it has certainly outlasted a lot more of its slightly more architecturally-aesthetic neighbours (Queen's Pier, Star Ferry, Hong Kong club etc). From certain angle it's almost as if the place hasn't changed at all - see the Streetview below.