Back to Beijing from Hong Kong. Glad to be back. Hong Kong may be a moveable feast, but it moves too fast, like running thru the Sizzler buffet on a oversped conveyor belt.
Last few days took the long subway then short minibus to Shaw Brothers' studio way out in the hills beyond the city. They had guards and passes and gates everywhere, like some kind of Bond Villians secret hide-out. Once I got past the guards, tho' I could walk around pretty freely. The place is up a small little mountain. Climbing up the sloped road I heard tropical birds chirping for the first time in a city bereft of most animal life except cockroaches. On the hilltop were the barracks of two empty soundstages, labelled "1" and "2". Another Bond henchman appeared with two dangerous looking guard dogs, but turned the corner, proved harmless, and the dogs just needed to doo doo. Props were weathering quickly in humid sun. Puzzle pieces of architecture from all time periods and countries lay here and there. But all in all the place was empty. Looking like ruins of 1970s kungfu movie dreams. Further turning the corner the concrete opened up on a seascape of mist, and green-topped islands. The sun was lazying its way downwards and the whole thing looked wonderful. Maybe more than a few landscape shots were stolen just by turning the camera around and pointing it out to sea.
Last few days took the long subway then short minibus to Shaw Brothers' studio way out in the hills beyond the city. They had guards and passes and gates everywhere, like some kind of Bond Villians secret hide-out. Once I got past the guards, tho' I could walk around pretty freely. The place is up a small little mountain. Climbing up the sloped road I heard tropical birds chirping for the first time in a city bereft of most animal life except cockroaches. On the hilltop were the barracks of two empty soundstages, labelled "1" and "2". Another Bond henchman appeared with two dangerous looking guard dogs, but turned the corner, proved harmless, and the dogs just needed to doo doo. Props were weathering quickly in humid sun. Puzzle pieces of architecture from all time periods and countries lay here and there. But all in all the place was empty. Looking like ruins of 1970s kungfu movie dreams. Further turning the corner the concrete opened up on a seascape of mist, and green-topped islands. The sun was lazying its way downwards and the whole thing looked wonderful. Maybe more than a few landscape shots were stolen just by turning the camera around and pointing it out to sea.
VIEW 3 of 3 COMMENTS
maike:
...bereft of most animal life...? The little white manicured dogs with red ribbons, everywhere!
tororo:
"a moveable feast, but it moves too fast"... nice description.