Hong Kong’s retail sales in May jumped by 2.4 per cent year on year, reversing a 14-month contraction, with the uptick boosted by a surge in visitors during several “golden week” holidays. Provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Wednesday showed total retail sales in May reached HK$31.3 billion (US$3.9 billion). The…
Golden Harvest shut down all four of its remaining cinemas in Hong Kong on Sunday, including one that will not be leased to a new operator, leaving residents disappointed by the loss of another venue. GH Galaxy in Shau Kei Wan ceased operations, while Golden Harvest’s other three cinemas, Sky at Olympian City, StagE in…
A recent trend in Hong Kong is causing concern. Cinemas and restaurants that have operated here for years are now closing down for good. Earlier this month, cinema chain operator Golden Harvest shut its venue at the MegaBox shopping centre, the fifth cinema it has closed down since April 2024. That came just days after…
Hong Kong film-goers snapped up discounted tickets for the final day of operation of Golden Harvest’s MegaBox cinema on Sunday, with some disheartened fans finding comfort in the news that another theatre chain will take over the space soon. In the afternoon, the seven-screen cinema was bustling with long-time regulars and others who were simply…
Hong Kong should relax the licensing renewal criteria for cinemas to allow them to host live performances or sports broadcasts, a lawmaker has said, as the city continues to grapple with a slew of theatre closures. Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, who represents sports, performing arts, culture and publication in the legislature, made the suggestion on Thursday…
The 56-year-old landmark Grand Ocean Cinema in Tsim Sha Tsui will lower its curtains for good on June 2 when the tenancy contract for its operator ends, marking the latest in a string of movie theatre closures in the city. Cinema chain operator Golden Harvest announced on Wednesday that the venue was shutting down, becoming…
The Tom Cruise action movie Mission: Impossible was such a global success in the late 1990s that some Hong Kong producers decided to strip the local characteristics out of their action films to make them more palatable to mainstream audiences in the West. Cue generic plots involving the CIA, international criminals, drug smugglers and terrorists,…
Beloved Cantonese opera venue Sunbeam Theatre, which closed down in North Point last month, has found a new home across the harbour in Hong Kong and is set to reopen as soon as mid-June. The theatre’s chairman, Edward Li Kui-ming, provided details about the move on Tuesday during a signing ceremony for the project with…
Major Hong Kong cinema chain Golden Harvest has announced it will slash prices to as low as HK$20 (US$2.60), a month after a temporary suspension in ticket sales sparked fears the company could be next in the movie industry to downsize or shut down. But an industry representative said on Thursday that the price reduction…
This is the latest instalment in a feature series reflecting on instances of East meets West in world cinema, including China-US co-productions. In the mid-1980s, Jackie Chan was one of the biggest stars in Asia. But while his films regularly topped the Hong Kong box office, he just could not crack America. After the disappointments…