Election - Simon Yam (2005) - Cha Kwo Ling Kai Fong Building, Cha Kwo Ling

Cha Kwo Ling is an old village located at the far eastern end of Kowloon - not far from the entrance to the Eastern harbour tunnel (in fact, Double Impact fans may recall this scene which was filmed just around the corner). The kai fong hall (sort of a community centre) appears to be where a meeting is held by the triad elders where they make the decision to elect Simon Yam as the new chairman and prevent Big D from retrieving the society baton. It's a very quick establishing shot of the outside of the building and I have no idea if the interior was used at all.

Election - Simon Yam (2005) - Morrison Hill Road, Wanchai

The scene where Big D and his cohorts are arrested and lined up on the pavement outside the venue they were in was filmed at the corner of Morrison Hill Road and Sung Tak Street. You can just about see the painted advert for Aji Ichiban (a Japanese sweets and snack store) that is on the Redana Building in the background (bottom image). The building they are ejected from is now the Vela Boutique Hotel - although at the time of filming appears to have housed a restaurant or karaoke club (it's not clear from the film).

Election - Simon Yam (2005) - Nam Sang Wai, Yuen Long

There are afew scenes that were shot in the Nam Sang Wai wetland area in Yuen Long. However, I think that in the film this is all supposed to be taking place over the border in the Mainland (or I may just have misunderstood what was happening).

The abandoned house where the gangsters are surrounded by the police is located there, as well as the scenes where Big Head (Lam Suet) gets beaten up by Gordon Lam. The rural road where Big Head is waiting for the truck to drive down is Nam Sang Wai Road on the eastern bank of the Shan Pui River. The camera shot through the windscreen of their car was taken almost directly opposite the (marked on Google maps as) "Northeast Electrical Enterprises Ltd" warehouse (which can be seen on left of screen in the third image).

Election - Simon Yam (2005) - MacPherson Playground, Mongkok

The scene where the David Chiang goes to speak with Wong Tin-lam (who happens to be Wong Jing's dad in case you didn't know already) was filmed along the Shantung Street side of MacPherson Playground in Mongkok.

Election - Simon Yam (2005) - Sheung Shui MTR Station, Sheung Shui

One of the gang heads over the border to pick up the society's "dragon headed baton". He heads to the border via the - what was then still called - the KCR line at Sheung Shui train station. The film was made back in 2005 before the Lok Ma Chau border station was opened (2007) so the only place to go to cross the border (via the train) was Lo Wu hence the singular destination sign in the top image below.

Election - Simon Yam (2005) - Wing Lok Street, Central

After torturing the two guys by pushing them down the hill in wooden crates, the gang drop them off in town by pushing them out the back of a van on Wing Lok Street between Cosco Tower and Grand Millenium Plaza.

Election - Simon Yam (2005) - Fei Ngo Shan, Kowloon

Fei Ngo Shan (Flying Goose Hill) is the Chinese name for Kowloon Peak and this is the place where Big D (Tony Leung) takes the two people he feels are responsible for his election loss, seals them into wooden packing crates, and then repeatedly pushes them down the hill. Okay, not strictly at the peak, but along the ridgeline a little to the west from the actual peak, not far from the pavilion where Fei Ngo Shan Road switches through a cutting from the north, New Territories-side of the ridge to the south Kowloon-side.

The exact location is a little way back west from the viewing point and only a short walk from Fei Ngo Shan Road. I've tried my best to mark it in the location link at the bottom of the post, but I've just noticed it keeps snapping to the road a bit further north. So you'll just have to take it as an approximate location for now.

Election - Simon Yam (2005) - Arthur Street, Yau Ma Tei

The tailor shop where Big D is getting fitted for his striped blazer was located on the corner of Public Square Street and Arthur Street but has since disappeared. As the actors move out of the shop we get a view north up Arthur Street.

Election - Simon Yam (2005) - Shanghai Street, Mongkok

In the scene where we are first introduced to the character of Jimmy (played by Louis Koo), the various characters are eating in cafe/noodle place and have brought money for one of the triad uncles. The latter then proceeds to fetch a prostitute off the street opposite and gets her to jump up and down so he can watch her boobs jiggle before leaving with her. The eatery appears to no longer exist - at least according to Google Earth - and the unit now houses a 7-11 and a "Megaman" lightbulb shop. The establishing shot for the scene is a view looking down Shanghai Street from the junction with Lai Chi Kok Road.

Election - Simon Yam (2005) - Sam Ka Tsuen Typhoon Shelter, Lei Yue Mun

A new year and a new film for the blog. I'm still stuck in the UK with very limited pickings in terms of films so have resorted to another famous local HK one of which I have a copy handy here in London. 

This time we are looking at the locations used for Johnnie To's 2005 film, Election. The Chinese name of the film is actually just 黑社會, which means "triad society" but I think the English title conveys a slightly better feeling for what the film is about. It centres around the leadership battle between two prospective triad leaders played by Simon Yam and Tong Leung (the other one, Leung Ka-fai). Yam is the level headed business type whereas Leung plays the - verging on psychotic - power mad tough guy. Leung loses the election and uses his followers to basically kill, maim and intimidate his way to sway the outcome. Much of the action centres around both sides trying to get hold of the society's baton, the ownership of which seems to confer the legitimacy of the leadership.

The film starts with Leung (his character name is Big D) trying to enlist some support for the yet-to-happen titular election on a small boat in the middle of Sam Ka Tsuen Typhoon Shelter.