The Chinese Consulate is the home of Consul Solon Han and Soo-Yung Han in Los Angeles California after leaving his original diplomatic post in Hong Kong on the last day of British rule two months prior. The home also serves as the temporary headquarters for the FBI when they're assign to investigate Soo-Yung's kidnapping. The home is seen in Rush Hour.
Rush Hour[]
This home is first seen when Consul Han walks his daughter Soo-Yung to the car so she can be on her way to school, he is stopped when a consulate worker informed him that there was a phone call for him from China. Before Soo-Yung left, she asked her father if he will be home after school. He replies that he won't because he will be picking her up himself, and she smiles. He turns her around with a finger-like move called the lago and she leaves after saying goodbye to him. Han goes back inside to answer the phone call, but no one was on the other line.
Shortly after Soo Yung's abduction, the home is seen again, with FBI agents guarding the house as their temporary headquarters. Han returned to his office at the consulate where Agent Warren Russ assures him that they would get his daughter back. Han tells Russ that he would like one of his people to help, but Russ assures him that the FBI considers it a top priority and have plenty of people on the case. Han, unwilling to trust the FBI agents so easily, reveals that he has called his freind Hong Kong Police Force Detective Inspector Lee to assist in the case partly because he and his family are not U.S. citizens.
Outside the consulate, Russ and his partner Agent Dan Whitney discuss the situation about Lee and are afraid that the injury or death of Lee will generate international embarrassment for them. Russ asks Whitney to call the field office and have them send over a rookie so he will keep Lee busy and out of their way. Whitney asks Russ if he's sure he wants to do that to one of they're own men. Russ asks what do he suggests. Whitney then tells him that as long as their gonna humiliate someone it might has well be LAPD and smiles. Detective James Carter is assigned for the task. Lee later escapes Carter and makes his way to the Chinese consulate, where the FBI, along with an anxious Han are awaiting news about his daughter. When two FBI agents who are guarding the front gate think that Lee is an intruder, he subdues them, causing the remaining agents to surround the house, with Whitney ordering Han to hide on the second floor. Lee comes in through the window and subdues the agents until Han gets up and sees that Lee was the supposed intruder. Russ and his agents hear the noise and draw at the door with their guns ready. Han opens it and assures Russ that there has been a misunderstanding. Han then introduces Russ to Lee, who immediately apologizes and gives Whitney back his gun. Russ uncuffs Lee's hand which had been to Carter's steering wheel while asking where he is.
Later that night, Carter arrives at the consulate with a tow truck to his car and asks one of the agents at the gate if they had seen Lee. The agent bitter after his encounter with Lee tells Carter to go screw himself. An angry Carter shouts for him to go back to gate and let him in.
While arguing with Russ about his actions in keeping Lee out of sight and away from danger. Han is later introduced to Carter who Lee explains is very passionate about finding his daughter. Han then shakes Carter's hand saying that he has his gratitude and Whitney tells him that they wanted Carter to be at Lee's side at all times. Sang, Juntao's right-hand man, calls the consulate as Carter accidentally picks up the phone while trying to call his captain. Carter suddenly takes up Sang's ransom demand of $50 million and poorly arranges a drop.
Han would later follow Sang's ransom demand and with the FBI's help they make the drop stuffing the money into suitcases. They put $20 million in $50 bills, $20 million in $20 bills, and $10 million in $10 bills. Han later receives a call from Sang telling him to take the money to the alley behind the Foo Chow restaurant in Chinatown reminding him that he has twenty nine minutes left. The FBI follow through with this but after Lee rescues Carter from the restaurant they are met outside by the FBI led by Russ who blames them for ruining the ransom exchange.
When Carter returns to the office at the Consulate Russ explains their reasons for grabbing and dragging the two officers was because they screwed up their second chance at getting Han's daughter back safe and sound and suspends them from their assignment. Carter tries to tell Russ about what Lee said in negotiating with terrorists but Russ cut him off saying that Lee is going back to Hong Kong and demands for Carter to leave on the threat of charging him with obstruction of justice. Carter again tries tell Russ that they need to finish the case but Russ tells Carter that he's no longer on this assignment and is still suspended.
While Han berates Lee for his interference with the case and stated that he must rely on the FBI, Lee sadly reveals to him that Juntao was behind Soo-Yung's kidnapping. Carter enters the room and apologizes for everything claiming that it was all his fault. Han tells him its a little too late for apologies. Sang later phoned the consul, angrily told him that the ransom had increased from $50,000,000 to $70,000,000, and threatened to kill Soo Yung if anything else went wrong. However, this time, he allowed the father and the daughter to talk to each other, but as the cold-hearted evil man that he was, Sang let them talk to each other only for seconds.
The next morning when Lee and Carter walkout of the consulate, Carter appoligizes to Lee and Lee tells him to appoligize for Soo-Yung in return before getting into an SUV driven by the FBI to take him to Los Angeles International Airport.
Thomas Griffin later visits Han at his consulate home embracing him in a hug and apologizing for leaving him an emotional wreck. Sang phones Han again telling him to go prepare for his Chinese exposition has he planned, to have the money in the upstairs control room and be sure to make no mistake. Han understands but he wants to speak with his daughter only to have Sang hang up on him.
Later, Griffin and Han then explained to Russ and Whitney about the HKPF's history with Juntao. Griffin explains for fifteen years until China was in control of Hong Kong, Juntao was the most powerful crime lord in South East Asia. The British tried to close down his operation but they had failed. Russ asks why Juntao would kidnapped Soo-Yung and Han explained about how he and Lee had foiled every aspect of Juntao's criminal operation confiscating millions in weapons and cash and a collection of Chinese arts that was surpassed to the world. Griffin then said that Juntao disappeared with no witnesses. When Whitney asked if he really thinks he'll kill the girl. Griffin suggests to Han that he should "pay the money". This is the last time the consulate is seen.
Trivia[]
- Soo-Yung's driver was portrayed by George Kee Cheung, who also played Fan in Lethal Weapon 4, which was released the same year as Rush Hour.
- The consulate workers were the female secretaries of Han.
- This home also served as Wayne Manor in the 1989 WB film Batman.