What happened to 1986’s Ping Pong, pioneering first film shot in London’s Chinatown?

Also the first UK film made by a director of Chinese descent, Leong Po-chih’s Ping Pong flopped upon release but is being rediscovered

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David Yip (left) and Lucy Sheen in a still from Ping Pong (1986), directed by Leong Po-chih and filmed in London’s Chinatown.

Published: 5:15pm, 3 Oct 2025

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 1986, Leong Po-chih’s comedy-drama Ping Pong became the first British film ever made by a director of Chinese descent and the first shot in London’s Chinatown.

Not only is this a shameful commentary on the racial barriers of the industry, it also does a disservice to the film itself, which is something of a lost gem.

Leong is an interesting, if peripheral, figure in world cinema. Born in Northampton, England, to Chinese parents, he studied at the London Film School, then worked at the BBC before heading to Hong Kong to make films such as Hong Kong 1941 (1984) and become part of the Hong Kong New Wave movement.

But Ping Pong is a more personal proposition, weaving elements of his father’s life story into the tale of deceased Chinatown businessman Sam Wong (KC Leong), who leaves behind a complicated will.

Plucky British-Chinese lawyer Elaine Choi (Lucy Sheen) is tasked with executing it, even though she barely speaks Cantonese.

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