Create Hong Kong style photos is a trend loved by the online community to evoke the nostalgic beauty of the 80s and 90s. No need for complicated skills, now you can easily transform into the main character in a movie with just a few AI commands. Let’s go together AnonyViet Discover tips and sample prompts to create your own impressive works!
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Why is the Hong Kong style photo trend so attractive?
The appeal of Hong Kong style is not just a temporary trend but comes from the crystallization of many unique cultural and aesthetic values, conquering viewers for generations.
- This style evokes memories of the golden age of Asian cinema, where fashion icons like Chow Yun Fat and Tony Leung Chiu Wai shaped a romantic and attractive retro aesthetic.
- Its beauty lies in the unique intersection between the ancient features of small alleys and old apartment buildings with the modernity and brilliance of neon lights, creating a setting that is both intimate and poetic.
- AI technology has broken down all barriers, helping anyone easily create and personalize photos without the need for professional equipment.

Instructions for creating impressive Hong Kong style photos
Step 1: You can visit the website gemini.google.com or open the Gemini app installed on your phone and log in with your Google account and select the tool Nano Banana.

Step 2: To let AI recognize and retain your facial features, tap the plus icon (+) and upload a clear portrait photo.
Step 3: Choose one of the prompt templates below, then paste it into the chat box and click Run.
Step 4: AI will process in about a few dozen seconds. If the results are not satisfactory, you can request further editing. When you are satisfied, you just need to download the image to your device.
Collection of prompts to create impressive Hong Kong style photos
In order for AI to understand and create the right image, you need to provide detailed prompts. Below are selected prompt samples that you can copy or customize as desired.
1. Create photos in a small nostalgic room
To recreate a cramped but artistic space, you can use the following command, focusing on describing the lighting and expressions of the character.
Use the reference photo above to recreate a realistic retro Hong Kong-style portrait with the authentic 1990s cinematic film aesthetic — moody and atmospheric, like a movie still. Keep the subject’s identity completely intact (including eye shape, lips, nose bridge, jawline, and skin tone). The portrait should be vertical, capturing the subject from mid-thigh to head (¾ body). Pose: standing and leaning slightly toward the camera, with both hands resting on a small wooden cabinet behind her, shoulders relaxed. The chin tilts slightly downward, eyes looking up toward the lens with a melancholic yet composed expression. Setting: a tight, cluttered Hong Kong room where the walls are covered edge-to-edge with yellowed Cantonese newspapers. Behind the subject, hazy neon signs in red and cyan glow through a light mist near the ceiling. The furniture should look naturally messy — a compact cabinet, scattered cables, and a small mirror’s edge barely visible in the frame. Wardrobe & Styling: a white shirt with the top button undone (elegant, non-revealing), paired with delicate layered gold necklaces and small hoop or pearl earrings. Hair should appear slightly tousled, with soft bangs falling across the forehead. Ensure the face remains an exact likeness of the original reference — no alterations. The final result should be a high-resolution, photorealistic portrait that feels genuine and cinematic.

2. Photo in the car on a romantic rainy night
This is one of the classic scenes, inspired by the films of director Wong Kar Wai. It evokes feelings of loneliness, contemplation and a bit of romance in the heart of the city that never sleeps, with neon lights reflecting through the rain on the glass windows.
Prompt (for men)
A cinematic, Wong Kar-wai–inspired realistic portrait created from a reference photo, emphasizing the jawline and neck for a sculpted, statuesque effect while preserving the subject’s natural features and essence. Pose: Seated, leaning his head against the window, one hand resting lightly on the sill as city lights filter through. Setting: Inside a vintage taxi with worn leather seats, rain-fogged glass, and refracted streetlights melting into soft, streaked reflections. Camera angle: Captured from outside the window, layered with translucent reflections across the face. Lighting: Passing neon hues of red and green cast shifting tones over the skin, evoking motion and fleeting emotion. Clothing: A black, slightly unbuttoned shirt; damp hair that adds a touch of vulnerability. Image tone: Contrasting reds and greens, dense film grain, vivid motion blur, and a faint glow haloing the headlights. Mood: A quiet melancholy — solitude amid the restless city, echoing with unanswered silence.

Prompt (for women)
A cinematic, evocative portrait of a young woman seated in the back of a vintage red car, inspired by Hong Kong’s neon-soaked nights. Capture her likeness from the uploaded reference. She has long, dark hair and defined features accentuated by bold red lips, her confident eyes locking with the viewer. Dressed in a dark — perhaps black — v-neck top, she exudes both poise and intrigue. Raindrops streak across the car window, softening the glow of teal and crimson neon outside into painterly trails. Camera Angle: Framed from outside the window, the glass layers her reflection over her face in subtle, dreamlike overlap. Lighting: Passing red and green neon signs wash her features in shifting tones, adding cinematic tension and depth. The overall ambiance feels moody, stylish, and mesmerizing — as if frozen from a scene in a Hong Kong romance film.

3. Portrait photo at the “Monster” apartment complex
This setting brings a unique urban beauty, blending the antiquity of architecture with modern, cyberpunk features. Yick Cheong apartment complex (Monster Building) is a symbol of the bustle and dense population of Hong Kong.
From this image, craft an urban portrait set before the iconic Monster Building (Yick Cheong Building, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong). Massive layers of apartments rise skyward, their weathered walls bathed in reflections of neon pink and cyan. The atmosphere evokes a cyberpunk vision reminiscent of Blade Runner 2049, blending futuristic allure with gritty realism. Employ cinematic lighting, intricate textural detail, subtle film grain, and ultra-high 8K clarity to capture the immersive depth and vibrancy of the scene.

4. Photo at Temple Street night market
This prompt helps you capture the bustling, everyday and colorful atmosphere of Hong Kong nightlife. Light from lanterns, signs and smoke from shops will create an extremely lively scene.
From this photo, generate an image of a young man dressed in a crisp white shirt and loose-fitting trousers, standing at the heart of Temple Street Night Market in Hong Kong. Around him, rows of lively street stalls glow beneath red lanterns, illuminated by flickering neon hues of green and yellow. The air is thick with the bustle of the crowd and the rising smoke from sizzling street food. The scene captures the nostalgic essence of a 1980s Hong Kong film — warm, cinematic tones with a touch of film grain, rendered in sharp detail from an eye-level perspective.

5. Cyberpunk style urban photo from above
This prompt is for those who love modern, futuristic beauty and a bit of mystery. The view from the balcony of a high-rise building onto a street filled with neon lights will create an impressive photo.
From this photo, generate an image of the subject in a sleek leather jacket and dark sunglasses, standing on the balcony of a towering Hong Kong skyscraper, gazing down at the bustling streets below filled with shimmering, multicolored neon signs and streams of traffic. Soft pink and violet lights cast vivid reflections across the face, blending cyberpunk flair with the visual poetry of contemporary Hong Kong cinema. Captured from a high-angle viewpoint, the scene radiates cool tones, sharp contrast, and cinematic depth, rendered in crisp 4K clarity.

Conclusion
Through the above instructions and suggestions, work Create Hong Kong style photos is no longer complicated. This is a great way for you to express your personality and preserve artistic moments. Try it today to create your own unique works and share them with your friends!