Start with the application channels
The FAQ of the Film Promotion and Facilitation Section of the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency divides locations into three types:
- Public places: filming that does not wholly occupy the place usually needs no approval; the police encourage crews to submit a location filming notification to the Police Public Relations Branch, free of charge.
- Government land or property: approval from the relevant government department is required.
- Private or public premises: the owner's prior approval is required, generally taking 7 to 10 working days, and the owner can charge rent or handling fees, a deposit and third-party liability insurance.
Each location below is marked with its type.
1. Pottinger Street, the "stone-slab street"
Film: Infernal Affairs III
The Tourism Commission's City in Time guide to Central explains that Pottinger Street is one of Hong Kong's earliest streets. The stretch between Hollywood Road and Queen's Road Central is paved with uneven granite steps that make the slope easier to walk, and Hong Kong people call it the "stone-slab street". The guide notes that it is a popular location for music videos, films and TV, that Infernal Affairs III was shot here, and that the scene of Tony Leung Chiu-wai walking down the stone-slab street is a classic.
Type: public place. The shops on either side are private; to film inside a shop or use its doorway, ask the shop owner separately.
2. Court of Final Appeal Building (8 Jackson Road)
Film: many Hong Kong films; the guide gives City on Fire, starring Chow Yun-fat, as an example
The same guide explains that the building was completed in 1912 and was first Hong Kong's Supreme Court, was used by the Legislative Council from 1985 to 2011, and has been used by the Court of Final Appeal since 2015. It has been a location for many Hong Kong films. The AR clock in nearby Statue Square plays clips from City on Fire.
Type: government building, and still a working court. Filming the exterior and filming inside the building are two different things; for anything involving the building's grounds, first ask the Film Promotion and Facilitation Section which department manages it.
3. HSBC Main Building
Film: Spy Game (2001)
A government press release of 7 November 2007, listing memorable scenes shot in Hong Kong, mentions that Spy Game used the HSBC Main Building in Central as the US Embassy.
Type: private property; apply to the owner.
4. International Finance Centre and Victoria Harbour
Films: Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003), The Dark Knight
The same press release mentions an action sequence in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life in which the heroine leaps from the International Finance Centre, flies over the city on a paraglider and lands on a boat in the harbour.
Another government press release, of 4 November 2007, explains that Warner Bros. sought help with The Dark Knight from the Film Services Office, then part of the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority. The release announced that a C-130 transport aircraft would fly over Victoria Harbour from 3 pm to 7 pm on 6 to 9 November, and two helicopters would fly low to film over West Kowloon, Causeway Bay and Central and Western District on 6 to 12 November. The release noted that this was Batman's first adventure outside the fictional Gotham City. The English Wikipedia also records that The Dark Knight filmed on the Central–Mid-Levels escalator from 6 to 11 November 2007.
Type: commercial buildings are private property; apply to the owner. Aerial filming, low flying and filming on the water each have their own department and need separate applications; the Film Promotion and Facilitation Section can help with liaison.
5. Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
Film: Die Another Day (2002)
The 7 November 2007 press release mentions James Bond, after his escape, walking calmly out of Victoria Harbour and strolling through the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.
Type: private club; apply to the club.
6. Central–Mid-Levels escalator
Besides Wong Kar-wai's Chungking Express, the English Wikipedia article "Central–Mid-Levels escalator and walkway system" lists two more films shot on the escalator: Chinese Box, set before the 1997 handover, in which the male lead's home and office is next to the escalator; and The Dark Knight, mentioned above. The article says the escalator is managed and maintained by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.
Type: government facility. Filming that does not occupy the whole walkway is handled as a public place; to occupy the walkway or set up equipment, first ask the Film Promotion and Facilitation Section which department manages it. For locations from Wong Kar-wai's films, see our article "Wong Kar-wai's Hong Kong".
Before you go
- The Film Promotion and Facilitation Section's location database has information, photos and application procedures for more than 1,400 locations; check your target location there first.
- Central is busy during the day; visit at the same time as the shoot on the recce.
- Our filming permit checklist lets you check, item by item, who to apply to for each setting.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the stone-slab street from Infernal Affairs III?
The stretch of Pottinger Street between Hollywood Road and Queen's Road Central. The Tourism Commission's guide says the scene of Tony Leung Chiu-wai walking down the stone-slab street was shot here.
Do we need to apply to film on the stone-slab street?
The street is a public place. Filming that does not wholly occupy it usually needs no approval, and the police encourage crews to submit a location filming notification. Filming inside shops needs the shop owner's permission.
Who coordinates big overseas productions filming in Hong Kong?
When The Dark Knight filmed in Hong Kong in 2007, the then Film Services Office helped. Today's equivalent is the Film Promotion and Facilitation Section of the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency.
References
- Tourism Commission, City in Time: Central (PDF, Chinese): www.cityintime.hk/media/2025/04/CityInTime_eBook_Central_TC_final.pdf
- Government press release, Caped Crusader flies into Hong Kong (7 November 2007): www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200711/07/P200711070275.htm
- Government press release, Hollywood blockbuster to film Hong Kong skyline and Victoria Harbour (4 November 2007): www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200711/04/P200711030130.htm
- Wikipedia, Central–Mid-Levels escalator and walkway system: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central%E2%80%93Mid-Levels_escalator_and_walkway_system
- Film Promotion and Facilitation Section, FAQ (Chinese): fpf.ccidahk.gov.hk/tc/resources/faq.php
The pages above were accessed on 1 November 2026.
Published 1 November 2026.
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