Cinemas in Hong Kong come and go to keep pace with the ever changing urban landscape, viewer choice and technology. Some operated for decades, while others for a few years or only a few months, some demolished and new one built, some with dozen seats while some have 2,000 seats, some renovated and re-named. Everyone of them generated warm memories to be cherished by their patrons.
This list of retired cinemas is compiled by interested Gwulo readers using the internet as their main source. For more information about a theatre, either click its name in the list, or click its marker on the map.
You are welcome to add another cinema (or theatre) - just remember to give it the tag cinema so that it shows up on the list and map below. As always we welcome readers who want to share their knowledge and memories of the cinemas they have attended.
You can also see a list of all cinemas on a single page.
Fond memories of the Hong Kong cinemas of the bygone years
Many thanks for compiling this list OldTimer, it must have taken a lot of time and effort!
How I miss the grandeur (but not the stench from cigarettes, sweat, spilt popcorn/soft drinks, snacks purchased from the hawkers outside the cinema) of those grand old cinemas in HK!
Anyone else have fond memories of them?
Since I lived on the Island at the time (80s), I would mostly frequent the ones there, but would occassionally foray into Kowloon.
Below are the ones I used to visit, with some additional comments from my memories:-
Cathay Theatre / 國泰戲院 [1939-1984] & ABC Cathay Theatre / 國泰戲院 ABC [1986-1997]
I remember the auditorium being rather small and the seats more packed as compared to other cinemas
Chinachem Golden Plaza Cinema / 華懋廣場戲院 [1988-2013]
I remember visiting at night when TST East was still a "complicated" place with triad/gangster elements, which I could definately feel here
Cine-Art House (Wan Chai) / 影藝戲院 [1988-2006]
As suggested by the name, I recall that Cine-Art mostly showed "artsy" films
Columbia Classics Cinema (Wan Chai) / 新華戲院 [1985-1997]
Similar to Cine-Art, I recall Columbia they also showed "artsy" films, which got me into the mood, every time I went to that particular part of Wanchai near the pier
Empire~State Theatre / 璇宮~皇都戲院 [1952-1997]
Classy in a run down sort of way will always be my memories of it
Harbour City Theatre / 海城戲院 [1984-1994]
The smaller and less convenient sister to the Ocean Theatre~Grand Ocean Cinema is how I will always rememeber this one
Imperial Cinema / 京都戲院 [1969-2004]
A run down and slightly seedy cinema is how I will always remember this one
Isis Theatre / 新都戲院 [1966-1999]
The nearest cinema to where I lived at the time (just a bus ride away down the hill) is how I will always rememebr this one
Jade Theatre and Pearl Theatre / 翡翠戲院 明珠戲院 [1969-1998]
Always super crowded is how I will always remenber this pair of twins
Kornhill Theatre / 康城戲院 [1987-1994]
A bit off the beaten track (for me) is how I will always remember this one
Lee Theatre / 利舞台戲院 [1927-1991]
The grand old lady of HK cinemas of the bygone years is how I will always remember this one, I seem to remember attending a showing at night when the yellowish glow of the wire fillament light bulbs at the lobby entrance seemed to transport me back in time
London Theatre/倫敦大戲院 [1962-1988]
Narrow and small is how I remember this one, just a stone's throw away from the MTR station
Ocean Theatre~Grand Ocean Cinema / 海城~海運戲院 [1969-2000]
I seem to remember that this was larger and more spacious than most cinemas, and I liked to take the Star Ferry to and from, given the much longer walk to the MTR station
Olympia Theatre / 國都戲院 [1965-1995]
One of the first cinemas in HK I visited (without my parents) as a young teenager is how I will always remember this one, going up to the ticket booth, pointing to the seat I wanted, paying, having my seat number written in red (crayon?) on my ticket, which was then hastily ripped off and handed to me. I remeber watching Rambo First Blood here.
Palace Theatre (Causeway Bay) / 碧麗宮戲院 [1975-1994]
Coming here was a treat indeed, with the inclined seats upholstered in velour. Accordingly, it was more expensive than other cinemas. I always came here to watch "lengthy" movies and distinctly remember watching the Last Emperor with my then girlfriend, with an intermission/toilet break in the middle.
Park Theatre / 百樂戲院 [1970-1997]
I don't rememeber much about this particular cinema (apart from watching the original Top Gun here), apart from the fact that there used to be many hawkers outside with their wooden carts selling all sort of tasty snacks.
President Theatre / 總統戲院 [1966-2002]
Like the Park, I don't rememebr much about this particular cinema, apart from the fact that there used to also be many hawkers outside with their wooden carts selling all sort of tasty snacks.
Queen's Theatre - 2nd generation [1959-2007]
I don't remember much about this one, save that its location in the CBD was at the time quite alien to me, being a teenager. It would be another 10 years before I started working in the neighbourhood.
Windsor Cinema / 皇室戲院 [1992-2015]
I seem to remember the Windsor being the first cinema in HK to offer "couple" or "dating" seats, where you could raise the armrest and cuddle. So at the time, if you asked a girl to go with you to the Windsor, you would have revealed your intentions beforehand!
Cinemas From Early Years
Thank you Wombatt for your feedback. It started with cinemas in my neighbourhood, then expanded thanks to the internet. Humbly, my work was neither original nor complete. As I learned from working, once we set up a link, it needs to be "baby". I hope readers will continue to share the memories of their cinemas especially post 1960s after I left Hong Kong. Regards, Peter