Where was Expats filmed? All shooting locations explored

Lulu Wang’s Expats became one of the most popular yet controversial releases of 2024. The show premiered on January 26, 2024, with a double-header debut and was slated for six episodes, ending its run on February 23, 2024. The reason why the series became so controversial had to do with both the original author of the book, on which the series is based, and the filming.

The series was entirely filmed in Hong Kong during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The South China Morning Post criticized Janice Y.K. Lee’s The Expatriates as ‘tone-deaf,’ while Nicole Kidman was questioned over her exemption from Hong Kong’s 21-day quarantine rule.

Regardless of the show’s controversial aspects, its popularity soared, given that the series explores profound subjects such as coping with loss and addressing existential crisis. Follow along with this article to learn more about the popular locations where Expats was shot.

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All Expats filming locations

The Murray

The Murray is a 27-story building that the Hong Kong government formerly used as an office. However, the place was later converted into a luxury hotel, which opened its doors in 2018. Most of the restaurant shots in the miniseries were filmed in The Murray.

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PMQ

Formerly known as the Police Married Quarters, PMQ is known to be one of the historic sites in Hong Kong. The distinctive urban-designed quarters and the versatile commercial spaces in PMQ made the place one of the best filming spots for Expats.

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Prince's Building

Commonly known as Landmark’s Prince’s, the Prince’s Building is a six-level shopping center shopping center in Hong Kong. The building is popular for housing several luxury brand outlets like Chanel, Buccellati, Vacheron Constantin, and more.

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Mei Foo Sun Chuen

Mei Foo Sun Chuen is a private housing estate in Hong Kong’s Lai Chi Kok, which is stated to be the world’s largest private housing development. Although it is unclear due to limited shots of the place, it is anticipated that Kidman’s character rented a place as her hideaway spot.

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Lok Wah Estate

Lok Wah Estate is a housing estate in Kowloon, Hong Kong, that was built in 1984. The location is where the worker characters like Puri and Essie rent a place.

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Ladies Market in Mong Kok

The southern section of Tung Choi Street is known as the Ladies’ Market or Ladies’ Street, where women vendors sell products. The location becomes the very spot where Mercy lost Gus. The official cover image of Expats also sees the Ladies’ Market with Kidman standing in the middle, facing the opposite direction.

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Cheung Sing Restaurant in Tai Hang

Cheung Sing Restaurant is one of the popular eating places in Tai Hang, where Kidman and Sarayu Blue’s characters have dinner and dance like they were at home, hymning to Tobias Gebb’s My Love.

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Victoria Harbour

Expats featured some of the scenic shots of the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, a natural landform that separates the city from Kowloon Peninsula.

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Mido Café

One of the iconic cafes established in 1950, Mido Café is one of the most popular places in Hong Kong. In the series, Mercy is seen waiting for Charly at the Mido Café, and together, they admire the place still hanging neon signs, giving the outlet a retro look.

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