Erotic Journey: Love Affair in Hong Kong - Hirokazu Inoue (1973) - Tai Pak, Aberdeen

After discovering that his mate has attacked his inocent sister-in-law, Sumio shoots the man and he and sis go for a heart-to-heart on the Tai Pak in Aberdeen Harbour.

Tai Pak (L), Sea Palace (R)

...and Millions will die! - Richard Basehart (1973) - Aberdeen Praya Road

Another part of the opening car sequence sees the gunmen's car driving around the bend of Aberdeen Patraya and into Wu Nam Street along the waterfront. The floating restaurants nicely lit up in the background.

The Fighting Dragon - Yasuaki Kurata (1975) - Aberdeen Harbour

After meetimg up at the cemetery, the three head over to Aberdeen where Lung raises questions about the master's death. He's very suspicious of the circumstances and, lo-and-behold, they are suddenly attacked. The first shot shows the Sea Palace whilst the second one appears to show the lower railing of the Tai Pak. This was a year before the Jumbo (version 2) finally appeared on the scene in 1976.

Yakuza on Foot - Tomisaburô Wakayama (1969) - Tai Pak Restaurant, Aberdeen

The two gangs are on their way for some lunch at the Tai Pak when Oriental Traval once again attack them. So a shootout follows from the lower deck of the restaurant as the attackers zip past in a boat.

Mad Mission 3: Our Man from Bond Street - Sam Hui (1984) - Aberdeen Harbour

Peter Graves (yes, that Peter Graves of the Mission Impossible TV series) plays a CIA agent for no other reason than to add some international gravitas to the film. It worked because Cinema City were able to secure some very lucrative international distribution deals as a result. He was so expensive (by Hong Kong standards) that all they could afford to get him to do was sit in a rickshaw in various parts of town and do a little comedy thing with a self-destructing tape message. We first see him as he is standing on a junk as it is towed through the middle of Aberdeen Harbour.

The Thieves - Kim Yoon-seok (2012) - Tai Pak Floating Restaurant, Aberdeen Harbour

Despite the Jumbo being towed away and sunk in the middle of the pandemic, the Tai Pak is still in Aberdeen harbour and supposedly undergoing some sort of renovation and rebirth. We shall see, time will tell. It would be a shame if Aberdeen was to lose its sole remaining floating restaurant. In the meantime here it is functioning as the location where our two heist gangs, Korean and Chinese, meet up to plan their big heist of all heists. 

The first images show the Jumbo and its old kitchen unit that was attached to the back. Coincidentally, a few weeks before the Jumbo sunk, this kitchen structure also capsized and sunk in Aberdeen Harbour.

International Prostitution: Brigade criminelle - Jean-Louis Broust (1980) - Aberdeen Harbour

It wouldn't be an international movie set in Hong Kong if it didn't have at least one scene of Aberdeen. In the images below we are initially looking at the old waterfront of Wu Nam Street prior to it being reclaimed. Quite a few of these buildings are still around, although the Rolex sign on topof the Kam Heung Building is no longer there. The lower images are from later in the film as Tazzi (Laura Gemser) lures Marcone (Gemser's then real-life husband, Tinti) into a trap set by Dega (Broust). 

Legacy of Rage - Brandon Lee (1986) - Floating Restaurants, Aberdeen

With their corrupt ex-police liaison now dead, the gangsters start grooming his replacement and go for talks at the Jumbo Floating Restaurant (R.I.P 2022). The film has done a bit of a switcheroo though because the interior scenes were actually filmed inside the Tai Pak. I seem to remember Les Fruits de la Passion did the same thing (although it looks like I never bothered posting about it).

La Fine Dell'innocenza - Annie Belle (1976) - Aberdeen Harbour

Annie and "dad" go to a restaurant and before the food arrives, she decides to leave and go elsewhere with her new found frinds. The next scene shows them on board a few sampans with the various Aberdeen floating restaurants in the background.

Tokyo Gang vs Hong Kong Gang - Ken Takakura (1964) - Tai Pak Restaurant, Aberdeen

Kitahara and Chang arrange to meet at the Tai Pak in Aberdeen in order to discuss their deal. We get a few shots around the harbour but it's a low quality panning shot that gets a bit blurry when the camera moves so not much to make out. However, when the camera stops to focus on the floating restaurant, it's quite obvious to see that the open section of the restaurant was only at one end of the structure (I had previously assumed it was at both ends).

The Street Fighter - Sonny Chiba (1974) - Aberdeen Harbour, Hong Kong

From one harbour to another, the next shot in the brief HK-related opening scenes is a shot across the waters of Aberdeen towards the Tai Pak and Sea Palace floating restaurants. Judging from the ornate balustrade top in the right foreground, I would say this shot was taken from the old pontoon location at the waterfront that has since been reclaimed and now has the bus terminus sitting on top of it (today's Wu Nam Street).

Hong Kong (series) - Rod Taylor (1960) - The Sea Palace, Aberdeen Harbour

Another of the establishing shots at the beginning of the episode. This one shows the now defunct Sea Palace floating restaurant that used to be next to the Tai Pak in Aberdeen Harbour. In fact I believe that is the Tai Pak on the left of the screen. This series was filmed in 1960, so what you can see is the original Tai Pak restaurant that was later (around 1962) moved to Castle Peak Bay.

Felicity - Glory Annen (1978) - Aberdeen Harbour, Aberdeen

Aberdeen features several times throughout the film. From a walk along the waterfront during the day to a boat ride later and eventually dinner out at the Jumbo. The images below are from all three of these occasions.

Walking along the praya

Boat ride past the Sea Palace

 Finally, a night out on the Jumbo (with bonus shot of the Tai Pak)

And just when you think it can't get any better, here is a parting shot of the old power station on Ap Lei Chau.