Seating capacity: unknown
Address: 95 Kai Yan Road**, Kowloon City, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
The location marker is approximate. Current Google Maps show a short Kai Yan Street on the former Kai Tak Airport site. The high street number suggests that the street at one time was longer than is now.** The Cinema Treasures page shows a photo of the cinema with Chinese caption in the photo "Located in Kowloon City Cheung On Street New Kowloon Cinema, 1930s, site subsequently became Kai Tak Airport Visitors plaza/building".
I wonder how Cheung On Street fits in the address equation. The cinema's Chinese name is the first I run into. One meaning of "映" in Chinese is "reflect" so I believe they used it in the early years to best describe how film projection works. It is called "New" Kowloon Cinema; I need to find the orginal one.
New Kowloon Cinema was built in 1926 and business likely started the same year. It was closed on December 8, 1941 as WWII was edging closer to Hong Kong. According to Cinema Treasures, the theatre was reportedly demolished by the Japanese Army for the expansion of the Kai Tak Airport during the war years.
** Edit December 27,2017 - The marker was placed initially using an old map which shows Kai Yan Street of limited length. The current location in on Kai Yan Road which no longer exists, and reflects readers comments and photos related to the theatre, and this map: https://gwulo.com/atom/11488/zoom
Sources:
- Cinema Treasures: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/21650
Photos that show this Place
Comments
Origin of the name
Hi Peter,
After Britain leased the New Territories, the area between the old boundary (ie today's Boundary Street) and the line of hills that ring Kowloon was known as "New Kowloon".
This cinema was near the centre of New Kowloon so its name could mean "Theatre in New Kowloon", rather than "Replacement for the old Kowloon Theatre".
Regards, David
Its completion is mentioned
Its completion is mentioned in item 44 of the 1926 Annual report of the PWD:
The following is a list of principal works in the Kowloon district which were completed during the year:
- Theatre on N.K.I.L. 239, Kowloon City.
- [...]
New Kowloon Cinema Theatre
Thanks David, for the history lesson on the name of the theatre and local geography. I thought it was a replacement given it was the case for some other theatres. And thanks to moddsey for the areial photos showing the theatre, my oversight led to the duplication. Regards, Peter
Kai Yan Road
(Updated 2024) The cinema on the northern portion of N.K.I.L 239 i.e. on the corner of
Cheung On StreetKai Yan Road and Sam Tack Road can be located hereNew Kowloon Cinema Theatre - nearby streets
Thanks moddsey for the link to this more legible map.
On the left edge of the map is Shek Ku Lung Road which still exists today and is on Google maps and David's 1956 map. I wonder if Clearwater Bay Road at this spot was the successor to Sai Kung Road with some realigments. The location marker has been moved and I welcome any further adjustments. Regards, Peter