Doubt cast over plan to turn Hong Kong’s Kowloon Walled City movie sets into exhibits, as industry veteran says few locations suitable

Industry leader Tenky Tin says few locations appropriate to preserve and display sets of hit film, with original site of Kowloon Walled City not ideal
Success of martial arts film Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In has prompted authorities to consider creating attraction for public and tourists to visit

Hong Kong society

Elizabeth Cheung

Published: 1:01pm, 23 May 2024

Why you can trust SCMP

A plan to turn the sets of a recent hit Hong Kong film featuring the Kowloon Walled City into exhibits may prove hard to execute as few locations are suitable and questions remain over the best way to set up the displays, an industry veteran has said.

Tenky Tin Kai-man, a spokesman for the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, cast doubt over a plan to preserve the sets of Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In after the government said it was looking into the possibility of turning them into exhibits for the public to visit.

While Tin agreed it was a good idea if investors in the popular martial arts film preserved and displayed the sets, he was unsure that authorities could find an appropriate location.

He said the original site of the Kowloon Walled City was unlikely to be an option as it was turned into a park in 1995, a year after the settlement was demolished.

“I can’t see that there are other convenient locations in Hong Kong. If you are talking about the West Kowloon Cultural District, then you might need to consider the weather too and the scale of the exhibits might need to be smaller,” Tin told a radio programme.

“Should the exhibits be placed indoors or outdoors? In terms of location, I am not sure where the government can display those sets.”

The film is set in the 1980s and takes place inside the overpopulated and ungoverned de jure Chinese enclave that formed part of Hong Kong under colonial rule.

Both local and overseas audiences have taken to the film, making a splash at the Cannes Film Festival with a standing ovation after its screening. The latest box office figures hit HK$70 million (US$9 million) in Hong Kong and Macau since its May 1 release.

The sets recreated the crowded environment and chaotic network of overhanging electrical wires and pipes, some of the distinct features of the Walled City, which was once considered the densest settlement in the world.

Tin said the authorities would also need to consider safety and how they would present the sets to visitors.

“Filming is more about adjusting for the needs of the camera – visiting movie sets is another issue. We need to consider safety for visitors,” he said.

Part of the sets used in Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In. Photo: Handout

He said the sets for display should be carefully curated to engage visitors.

“I’m worried that there could be differences in expectations among the public,” he said. “What ways should we choose to deliver the sense of the Walled City?”

He also raised concerns over the film quickly losing popularity and becoming outdated as other productions were released.

District councillor Lee Chiu-yu, representing the Kowloon City South constituency, struck a more positive tone and said both the original site and nearby areas could be used to display the sets.

Lee said some changes were also being made to the park as the area was undergoing redevelopment and authorities could consider earmarking a spot at the site for the exhibits.

“If the site is at a location relevant to the movie, visitors would have a stronger sense of the experience,” he told the same radio show, adding that the nearby Kai Tak area could also be a possible option.

He added authorities could make use of the opportunity to promote distinct local culture as part of its tourism drive, such as offering workshops in making fishballs or bamboo noodles, which were part of common daily fare in the Walled City.