A Tour of Wong Kar-wai's Hong Kong | Video Essay

Accented Cinema - Episode 142
This Halloween, I had to chance to visit Hong Kong. Instead of going to Disney, the cinephile in me dragged me to see a 7-Eleven, simply because it was once an iconic location in a Wong Kar-wai movie. Oh, the magic of cinema.

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[AccentedCinema]

In case you want to visit all the locations yourself, here are the addresses:

Sai Wan Ho Station 西灣河地鐵
Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong
西灣河筲箕灣道及太安街交界地底

Bank of China Building 舊中銀
Bank Of China Building, Des Voeux Rd Central, Central, Hong Kong
中環德輔道中2A號

Chungking Mansions 重慶大廈
36-44 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui
尖沙嘴彌敦道36-44號

McDonald's 麥當勞
12 Peking Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui
尖沙嘴北京道12號新声大厦地库

Yau Ma Tei Theater 油麻地戲院
6 Waterloo Rd, Yau Ma Tei
油麻地窩打老道6號

Cross-Harbour Tunnel 海底隧道
Between Hung Him Bay and Kellet Island
紅磡至銅鑼灣

Central-Mid-Levels Escalator 半山電梯
Between Central and the Mid-Levels
中環至半山

Kau U Fong Staircase 九如坊梯級
194 Wellington St, Central
中環威靈頓街194號

Pottinger Street 砵甸乍街
Central, Hong Kong
香港中環

Stanley Street 士丹利街
63 Stanley St, Central
中環士丹利街63號

Graham Street Market 嘉咸街街市
Graham St, Central
中環嘉咸街

Castle Road 衛城道
Mid-Levels, Hong Kong
香港半山

Goldfinch Restaurant 金雀餐廳
13 Land Fong Rd, Causeway Bay
銅鑼灣蘭芳道13號

Midnight Express 午夜快車
3 Lan Kwai Fong, Central
蘭桂坊3號

Tung Tin Cafe 洞天冰室
43 Fun Lo Tsun Rd, Kowloon City
九龍城福佬村道43號

[PhryneMnesarete]

I visited Hong Kong as a child, in the 90s. I don’t remember much of it. I remember the noise, and the crowds, and how soft and hazy the neon lights were, like glowing pink and blue and golden clouds. I don’t know how much of my memories are real and how much is made up of movies and photos I’ve seen. It is strange to think that the Hong Kong of my memories no longer exists.

[mj]

I'm a working class man from the UK, and I'll probably never have enough money to go to Hong Kong. Fallen Angels has been one of my favourite films since I was a teenager, thank you for making a film tour of the city. 🙏 👍

[bernok]

As a person who born and lives in HK for essentially 20 years, this is pretty much true.
The once unique HK with those neon signs are nothing more than a fading memory...
Wish they still have some more ways to preserve such traits.

Great video too!!!

[CraigNixon]

I luckily got to visit HK in 2013. Ate in the Goldfinch restaurant. Explored Chungking Mansions. Rode the escalator. Saw lots of neon. Was gutted when I tried to find Midnight Express and the California bar to find them gone.
Looks like HK has changed a lot, even over only 10 years. Glad WKW immortalised these on camera.
Thanks for the video! Wonderful work as always.

[endingalaporte]

My family lives in Hong Kong, my mom emmigrated to Europe and I grew up here. Each time I go to HK, I feel hate and love at the same time. This place is filled with emotions, british colonialism, ultra capitalism, the cantonese, hardship of locals, the lights and small spaces of Hong Kongers... This place lies in my heart

[ghostlightning]

This was beautiful and painful. Hong Kong was the first place I got to visit outside my own country (the Philippines) on honeymoon back in December 2006, I've revisited with my wife two more times the following year. And thus, it has always been my city of love, not in the least made more meaningful due to my own Cantonese heritage. The second visit I remember the highlight being the climb up the mid-level escalators. It's a shame I watched WKW's oeuvre after these visits and I've never been to since. All things change and come to pass, but I think I'll enjoy looking at our old photos from 18 years ago. My neon dreams will take longer to fade away.

[grammarnazi]

This was the HK of my parents' youth and of my own childhood memories. Going back now is both exciting and painful - fragments of the city I remember (and to an extent, romanticize) remain, however the physical changes are to me a reflection of how much this beloved city has changed politically, economically and culturally from its heyday in the 80s & 90s. Thank you to WKW for immortalizing that version of HK in his films, and to Accented Cinema for this nostalgic video taking me down memory lane once again.

[chengchengli]

This must be the most romantic YT video I've seen this year. Thank you for making this!

[irfan]

The production of this video to the rooof.

And dont feel bad if this video doesnt pop in the first 24hr. It takes time for this one. I love it

[djbaba]

This was a superb video. Still, by far, one of the best YT channels. Thank you for all the beautiful videos you have created!

[KateAoyama]

My father used to work in HK for about 2 years in the mid-2000s. I was in high school then. Every school holiday, I would go visit my father. I love those small, narrow streets markets. Seeing your video made me want to go there again. However, I was told that HK has changed so much since then.

[taionalmeida]

I would never forget how shockinly was to watch Chunking Express, made in Hong Kong in the early 90's, and look how much a lot of the movie resemble's the appearence of some places here where I live - Belém do Pará, the city that will hold the COP-30 next year.

Whatching that cinephile tour for locations it sort of strike me - these places that resembles has the same function and meaning = places for everyday people lives goes on

Popular residences, open markets, streets that conect places where people work hard everiday.

Thats what I find most beautifull on Wong Kar Wai movies - he turns everiday locations etereal and universal.

Lovely vid ❤

[TalaySeedam]

I grew up watching Wong Kar-wai's movies, and the Hong Kong captured in them will always be a part of my life. Thank you for bringing us back to it.

[Yokaix]

Thank you for visiting and showing us these iconic places! You don't know how badly I needed to see this. I'm loving this new type of content your making now.

[HotPotato-rs]

Hello. I went around Hong Kong using your video as a guide and it was the best! Thank you for making this. I love Wong Kar Wai and your video made my trip.

[Asummersdaydreamer]

I love how film inspires such sincere yet dorky actions like visiting a certain street or building because it was featured in a movie that changed your life or looked cool af

Also, I appreciate the Tony Leung appreciation lol

[rouju]

Man, nostalgia is one hell of a drug. Thanks for this time capsule and also a reminder that time won't stand still. 90'sHongkong always live in my memory

[elucified]

Beautiful capture of a time gone by... used to visit HK with parents when I was a kid once every few years for summer vacay. Those memories still live on for me, but more and more so in my head and no longer in reality. HK has changed a lot... 🥲

[distortilla]

A place I've never been to yet long for like I never left.