The Chairman - Gregory Peck (1969) - Zhinan Temple, Taipei

Another of the fruits of my trip to Taiwan earlier in the summer was to visit Zhinan Temple. It's the location used in The Chairman as the venue where Peck's character meets Mao face to face.

These days, despite being a fair way up a mountain, it's easy to reach courtesy of the MRT system and the Maokong Gondola near Taipei Zoo. Back in 1969 when this film was made I imagine the logistics involved in transporting two actors (Gregory Peck and Ric Young) as well as a bunch of extras and camera equipment was a little bit more challenging. Even though there are roads, it's still a fairly arduous trip. I went here twice (took the missus the second time) and walked back to the zoo on the first trip but opted for the speedy minibus the second time. They're both worth doing if you get the chance.

Anyway, the temple is actually split over several adjacent sites and we get to see two of them on film. The first part is as Peck & co approach some semi circular steps that lead up to a rather impressive Pai Fong (ceremonial archway). I'm having a bit of trouble identifying the proper name for this area but it appears that it might be the oldest part of the complex and is called Chunyang Temple.

There has definitely been some extensive remodeling since the film was made. The top photo (below) shows the entrance from the terraced garden (it's quite steep) that Peck and Young walk up at the beginning of the scene. If you compare with the top screen image you can see the same low wall in the background. The remodeling is quite obvious when you compare the next image. It shows a part of the podium that juts out and how the concrete wall has been changed. However, the most obvious change is the complete reconstruction of the archway at the top of the steps. The original, seen on film, was much more intricate and ornate whereas the current one just looks like poured concrete with a nice roof.

In the next part of the sequence we catch a brief glimpse of Peck walking along underneath some sort of covering. This is actually what is referred to on wiki as the Long Corridor. It looks as though this was an architectural feature of the Summer palace in Beijing and its style has been replicated here. I can confirm it is still there and covers the pathway that leads us up to the main site seen on film - Ling Xiao Temple - which can be seen in the third image below.

There is a pathway that leads up the side of the corridor (you can see it in picture #2 below) and this was most likely where the camera was positioned. I think the archway you can see in the second image above is the same one that's still there. Sadly, the temple building itself was undergoing some major renovations whilst I was there and was covered in scaffolding, so my attempt to replicate the same angle from the film doesn't quite have the impact I was hoping for. However, you can see it's the same place.

The final part of this on-location sequence sees Young and Peck walking up the front steps and onto the podium/terrace before entering the temple through a side door. Once again, my pics are a bit of a let down due to the scaffolding, but you get the general idea. What I did notice though is that a structure has been built on the left side which means the films camera angle would be blocked today.
 

If I get the chance next year, I shall try and return to get some scaffolding free images (assuming it will be gone by then). Also note the new addition to the front of the temple, and on the left of the third photo you can see the structure that blocks the film's old camera angle. The doorway is still there though (last image).

The Sand Pebbles - Steve McQueen (1966) - Lin Family Mansion, Banqiao, Taipei

In the last The Sand Pebbles Taiwan post we visit the Lin Family Mansion in Banqiao. This is location of the elephant statue that McQueen and a local boy are throwing stones onto for good luck. I'm still not sure if the elephant was a prop or actually part of the garden, but suffice to say it hasn't survived the years so perhaps it was just a prop after all. The garden itself and the traditional Chinese style house at the other end are still very much intact though and I went there a couple of weeks ago.

Seeing some of the behind-the-scenes pictures online, it's astonishing to think that at the time of filming the surrounding area was basically just open fields (with the exception of a nearby Catholic Church), but when I visited I can tell you the whole place is as bustling as any other part of the city with the development to match.

Getting here is straightforward enough, I just caught the MRT to Fuzhong on the blue Bannan Line and walked for about 10 minutes. The garden is NT$80 to enter and consists of two parts: a large Chinese style garden with various traditional buildings and pavilions, bridges, ponds etc and the second part is the privately owned Lin family mansion and the open garden that extends to its front (i.e. the filming location).

Here lies the problem for budding film fans. In order to get into the mansion side you need to grab a (free) ticket for the next available tour (tour of the Lin mansion that is, not the tour of the Chinese garden). The tour is in Chinese only and you will not get in without a ticket because the entrance is small (through a door in the wall) and you are stopped for your ticket as you go in i.e. no way to sneak in.

The second problem is that the tour is only of the mansion and not the surrounding grounds and each group is chaperoned by at least 3 assistants who make it their mission to stop you from straying away from the tour path. So, with that in mind I can only say that I was very close to the filming spot by about 20 metres, but was forbidden from going any closer. I don't know why that section is off limits.

In the picture above, the filming spot is beyond the "minder" just in front of the balustrade wall. It's a large courtyard area with an ornamental pond on the other side of the wall. This was the closest I could get, sadly. The elephant statue was placed slap bang centre screen at the end of the path.

Two minders to ensure no one wandered to the back.

Actually, in terms of getting closer to the location, walking around the outside of the garden is almost as good as going inside and I took these following photos from the public pavement by the main road. The location is just the other side of the wall.

The Sand Pebbles - Steve McQueen (1966) - Longshan Temple, Taipei

One of the locations featured on the day out with McQueen and Bergen was the famous Longshan Temple. It's basically the Taipei equivalent of Wong Tai Sin Temple (i.e. quite touristy). The temple complex is quite large with the main temple building occupying the centre of the site, however, the filming was done behind the main building in the rear courtyard.

Sadly, I couldn't get the shot I wanted because of a large metal roof structure that has been erected to protect worshippers from the harsh Taiwanese sun. As a result, the current view is obscured - which is a shame because the roof, like most Taiwanese temples, is quite colourful and ornate and certainly a bit more spectacular than can be seen back in 1966.

The Sand Pebbles - Steve McQueen (1966) - Dihua Street, Taipei

Not too far away from the former Penglai Pavilion site is Dihua Street. This is the location used to march the sailors back to the ship as they are being harangued and bombarded with all sorts of nasty stuff. In general, most of modern Taipei only really appeared after the 1960s and lacs the look needed for 1920's Changsha. Dihua Street is one of those older streets that has been around for much longer and has been able to maintain much of its antique look and feel. There are the odd clumps of modern development (especially in the southern section of the road) but many old (and stylish) buildings are still extent in the middle and northern sections and it looks as though that was where filming took place.

There are so many old buildings along here it boggles the mind, but if you walk far enough north you'll find some red brick ones that are similar to the ones seen on screen. What makes identification a bit more difficult is that these buildings have had some excellent renovations done, making them look almost new, and I think it might be complicated by the fact that there are also a few newer additions that have been built in a style sympathetic to the area. So some look old but aren't simply because of their architecture. It's very hard to determine.

 
 However, there is one spot that I know was featured and it is in the picture immediately above. I've cropped and highlighted the name on the building and you will see that it is the same one seen in one of the screen grabs above. I've re posted below.

Note that in the film the row of buildings continues to the right, but today the building marks the end of the terrace and a new block of flats has been built where the old buildings once were. So it looks like not everything was saved.

Actually, if you are eagle-eyed enough you can see this building in the screen shot below, courtesy of the two signs hanging outside the windows.You can see them directly above the position of the sailors in the top centre of the image. Unfortunately then, it looks like all the buildings to the right were demolished to make way for new development. You will see what I mean if you click on the GoogleEarth link here. In that modern link you will see the gap on the right where the old houses were demolished and a new building has been built set back from the roadside.

Anyway, at least there is at least one building that helps us place the scene properly.