Film production in Hong Kong
Between June and December, usable daylight in Hong Kong moves by 2h 42min — from 13h 29min down to 10h 47min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months, the climate profile.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Hong Kong rises at 05:40 and sets at 19:09; the evening golden hour starts at 18:37 and runs for 32 minutes. By December that shifts to 06:56–17:42, with a 33-minute golden-hour window from 17:09.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 30 and 33 minutes across the year. Put it last in the day and the first overrun takes it.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:06 | 18:00 | 10h 54min | 17:28 |
| February | 06:56 | 18:21 | 11h 24min | 17:50 |
| March | 06:33 | 18:33 | 12h 00min | 18:03 |
| April | 06:04 | 18:44 | 12h 39min | 18:14 |
| May | 05:45 | 18:56 | 13h 12min | 18:25 |
| June | 05:40 | 19:09 | 13h 29min | 18:37 |
| July | 05:48 | 19:11 | 13h 23min | 18:39 |
| August | 06:01 | 18:56 | 12h 55min | 18:26 |
| September | 06:11 | 18:29 | 12h 18min | 17:59 |
| October | 06:20 | 18:00 | 11h 40min | 17:30 |
| November | 06:36 | 17:41 | 11h 05min | 17:10 |
| December | 06:56 | 17:42 | 10h 47min | 17:09 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Hong Kong starts at 19:25 in June and ends at 19:34 — a window of 10 minutes. In December it is 9 minutes from 17:57. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:33) and September (18:29) there are 4 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Hong Kong averages 28 rain days in June and 4 in December. A three-day exterior shoot in June statistically loses 2.8 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.
| Month | Mean temperature | Rain days | Sunshine hours/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15.7 °C | 6 | 7.8 |
| February | 16.6 °C | 7 | 7.6 |
| March | 19.6 °C | 13 | 7.3 |
| April | 22.5 °C | 15 | 8.3 |
| May | 25.3 °C | 23 | 8.4 |
| June | 27.3 °C | 28 | 8.9 |
| July | 27.9 °C | 25 | 10.4 |
| August | 27.5 °C | 26 | 8.9 |
| September | 26.9 °C | 21 | 9.2 |
| October | 24.3 °C | 11 | 8.9 |
| November | 21.3 °C | 6 | 8.2 |
| December | 16.6 °C | 4 | 8.0 |
Planning a shoot here
A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in December, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in Hong Kong?
In June it starts at 18:37 and lasts 32 minutes; in December it starts at 17:09 and lasts 33 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Hong Kong get?
Between 10h 47min in December and 13h 29min in June. The 2h 42min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Hong Kong?
Combining daylight and rain days, December comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.