Hong Kong Hidden Gems: Enter the Dragon shooting location
While touring the Happy Valley cemeteries, we always mention “Enter the Dragon”, Bruce Lee’s last cult movie where one of the scenes was shot in the Muslim cemetery.
Today we would like to reveal another site which appeared in the movie, Palm Villa’s ruins in the south of Hong Kong Island. It is on the villa’s tennis courts that the the legendary tournament scenes were shot. (which were supposed to happen on Han island according to the film’s plot).
Bruce Lee apparently found this site by accident, as he was location scouting on Hong Kong Island. By coincidence, the villa belonged to a renowned lawyer whose firm was in charge of Bruce Lee businesses (and until after his death) and who was also linked through marriage to the Ho Tung family to which Bruce Lee also belonged.
Sadly, very little of the 1920’s villa and it’s surrounding buildings which featured in the movie, survives to this day. The lands were sold and redeveloped into 2 complexes: The American Club and Pacific View Residence which were built in the 1980s.
But traces of the old villa are still visible to the unconditional fans! The jetty where Bruce Lee disembarks and a circular building, possibly a comfortable garden shed used as a changing room by the main actress and a jealous Bruce Lee, both saved from demolition. The shed also appears in the movie.
This site was also used as coastal defense in 1941 during the Battle of Hong Kong.
To discover other anecdotes, book a tour at contact@hkalacarte.com
Old pictures credit: gwulo.com & http://hongkongandmacaustuff.blogspot.com/