Maps of Movies

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Where Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom says it takes place, and where it was really shot.

A Shanghai nightclub, a Himalayan raft ride and an Indian palace: where the 1935 adventure was really filmed, from Elstree stages to Sri Lanka.

Scenes and places

Club Obi-Wan: the Shanghai nightclub (1935)

Indiana Jones meets Lao Che to trade the remains of Nurhaci for a diamond. The deal turns into a poisoning, and Jones, Willie and a boy named Short Round fight their way out of the club.

Set in Club Obi-Wan, Shanghai — The Shanghai nightclub where Jones meets crime boss Lao Che and singer Willie Scott opens the film with a song.

A Shanghai nightclub of the 1930s, rebuilt on a British studio stage.

Filmed at Elstree Studios, Hertfordshire — The film was shot on soundstages here, and the opening dance number was the last scene filmed. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: Elstree Studios is a working film studio in Borehamwood; it is not open to walk-in visitors.

Escape through Shanghai (1935)

Jones flees with Willie in a car driven by young Short Round. The group heads for an airfield, unaware the plane waiting there belongs to Lao Che.

Set in Shanghai streets and airport — Jones, Willie and Short Round flee Lao Che's men through the city, ending at an airfield.

In the 1930s Shanghai was one of the world's busiest port cities; the film used Portuguese-ruled Macau as its stand-in.

Filmed at Macau — Macau stood in for Shanghai. Wikipedia does not say which scenes were shot there. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: Macau is reached by ferry or bridge from Hong Kong and Zhuhai.

The pilotless plane and the inflatable raft (1935)

The pilots dump the fuel and parachute away, leaving no one at the controls. Jones, Willie and Short Round escape in an inflatable raft before the plane crashes.

Set in Aboard Lao Che's plane, over the Himalayas — The cargo plane the trio boarded in Shanghai, flown by pilots who bail out mid-flight.

The village of Mayapore (1935)

The trio land in a dying village where the villagers plead with Jones to bring back their sacred stone and their children, taken by evil forces from Pankot Palace. Jones suspects the stone is one of five lost Sankara stones.

Set in Mayapore, India — A poor village whose sacred stone and children have been taken, and whose people ask Jones to bring them back.

A fictional village; the film shot its village scenes in Sri Lanka after India refused permission.

Filmed at Kandy area, Sri Lanka — Location work for the village was done near Kandy, with matte paintings added. Villagers were played by Sri Lankan actors. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: Kandy is in the hills of central Sri Lanka.

Pankot Palace (1935)

The trio are welcomed to Pankot as guests of the young maharaja. During the night Jones is attacked by an assassin in his room and kills him, then finds a series of tunnels beneath the palace.

Set in Pankot Palace, India — A palace ruled by a boy maharaja, where the trio are guests at a banquet.

A fictional palace; Lucas first wanted a haunted castle in Scotland, which became an Indian temple.

Filmed at Elstree Studios, Hertfordshire — No real palace was used: the palace was done with matte paintings and scale models, and most of the film was shot on soundstages here. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: Elstree Studios is a working film studio in Borehamwood; it is not open to walk-in visitors.

The temple under the palace (1935)

Jones, Willie and Short Round find a temple where cultists hold a ritual sacrifice. The cult holds three Sankara stones and uses the stolen children as slave labor in the mines.

Set in Underground temple and tunnels, Pankot — A hidden temple beneath the palace where a cult conducts a human sacrifice.

A fictional temple built for the film on studio stages.

Filmed at Elstree Studios, Hertfordshire (George Lucas Stage) — Eight of the nine soundstages at Elstree housed the film; about 80 percent of it was shot on stages. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: Elstree Studios is a working film studio in Borehamwood; it is not open to walk-in visitors.

The mine cart chase (1935)

Jones, Willie and Short Round flee through the mine tunnels in runaway carts as the cultists chase them.

Set in Mine tunnels under Pankot — A network of mine tunnels where the heroes flee in mine carts.

Fictional mines; the scene was built from a roller coaster shoot and miniatures, not a real mine.

The rope bridge (1935)

Cultists led by Mola Ram ambush the trio on a rope bridge, and Jones must sever it with a sword.

Set in Rope bridge over a gorge, India — A rope bridge strung across a deep gorge with a river far below.

A purpose-built bridge in the Sri Lankan hills, not a real crossing.

Filmed at Rope bridge near Victoria Dam, Kandy District, Sri Lanka — The bridge was built by British engineers working on the nearby Victoria Dam. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: Kandy District in central Sri Lanka; the exact bridge spot is not documented.

Characters

• Indiana Jones — An American archaeologist caught up in a quest to recover a stolen sacred stone.
• Willie Scott — A nightclub singer swept along on the journey.
• Short Round — Jones's young orphan sidekick.

Questions answered on the map

• Which city stood in for Shanghai in Temple of Doom?
• Where was the Indian village in Temple of Doom really filmed?