Patrons bid farewell as Hong Kong’s Newport Theatre closes down after 20 years
Another operator, Golden Harvest Cinema, also announces it will close Whampoa branch in April
Patrons are bidding farewell to Hong Kong’s Newport Theatre as it prepares to close its doors after 20 years in business, while another operator has announced it will shut one of its cinemas.
Golden Harvest Cinema said on Monday night that its Whampoa branch, which opened in 2009, will cease operations on April 10, upon the expiry of its lease. The move will reduce the chain’s presence in the city to six sites.
The operator said it would screen four classic movies on its final night on April 9, including Marry a Rich Man, 2002, The Stormriders and Who’s the Woman, Who’s the Man, at a special price of HK$40 (US$5).
Earlier in January, Golden Harvest restored online ticket sales for its outlets in Kowloon Bay, Tuen Mun, Tai Kok Tsui and Shau Kei Wan after an earlier suspension. It has already closed its branches in Kai Tak and Nam Cheong.
Over at Newport Theatre, some patrons said on Monday that they planned to watch two films back-to-back to support the venue’s operator on the final day, as the cinema in Mong Kok was set to shut down amid a wave of closures.
“It is a place full of collective memories for Hongkongers. It is hard to let it go,” said Sophia Au, a teacher in her forties and a neighbourhood resident.