Bruce Lee Museums and Gallery Exhibits

GeneChing · October 27, 2010, 4:38pm

BIG Little Dragon

I’d love to visit this someday…

Giant Bruce Lee statue welcomes kungfu fans
English.news.cn 2010-10-27 10:17:28

The statue in Bruce Lee Paradise is a new landmark of Jun’an, hometown of the kungfu master.(Source: China Daily)

BEIJING, Oct. 27 (Xinhuanet) – At 18.8 meters tall, the world’s biggest Bruce Lee statue is ready to greet global kungfu lovers in the master’s hometown in Jun’an town, Foshan in Guangdong province.

Created at a cost of nearly 2 million yuan and requiring about two years of effort, the bronze is the latest masterpiece of Cao Chongen, one of the nation’s top sculptors.

It is likely to become a superstar itself at Bruce Lee Paradise after it is inaugurated on Nov 28, the day after the 70th anniversary of Lee’s birth.

The title King of Kungfu is carved in the towering statue’s foundation along with a summary of Lee’s life and the list of donors and sponsors.

While Lee is renowned around the world as a martial arts star in action movies and the one who brought the word kungfu into English dictionaries, his legacy remained low key back in his hometown in China until the local government recently invested millions to build his namesake park.

The government hopes it will become a major tourist draw and further promote kungfu culture.

The area now home to Bruce Lee Paradise, which began operation in 2005, was first developed as an ecological park in 1998.

It has about 2 square kilometers of scenic beauty with lakes, mountains and rare birds.

The park is also home to a museum filled with Lee’s weapons and books, posters and other memorabilia related to him.

Bruce Lee Ancestor’s House less than a 1 km from the park is another stopover for Lee’s fans despite its humbleness and sparse furnishings.

Built by his grandfather, Lee lived in the house for only a short time.

The residence is typical of the local style with gray bricks and black roofing tiles. A bedroom, hall, kitchen and yard together cover only 51 square meters.

More hotels and a convention center are also planned. “We are ready to welcome more friends from around the world to pay a visit here,” said a tour guide at the Bruce Lee Paradise.

GeneChing · October 28, 2010, 10:46pm

I ran into GM Al Novak during my lunch break just now

He reminded me about the event below. GM Al Novak was on our 2010 January/February cover - see Great American Great Grandmaster. Al is a guest of honor at the banquet and will be receiving some special recognition plaque (as if he doesn’t have enough of those already).

Bruce Lee’s 70th Birthday Celebration - Nov. 27, 2010
Date : 27-Nov-2010 Saturday
Time : All day
Type : Fundraisers

The Bruce Lee Foundation Presents:
Bruce Lee’s 70th Birthday Celebration!

November 27, 2010
San Francisco, California

Come raise a glass to Bruce Lee on his 70th birthday in the city of his birth and join his family and friends in celebrating and supporting the legacy of Bruce Lee! There are a number of exciting activities planned for this extraordinary fundraising event (see below) which makes this birthday party a can’t-miss event for all Bruce Lee fans.
All proceeds will go towards the Bruce Lee Foundation and Bruce Lee Action Museum. Come out and support the our biggest fundraising event of the year!

A Private Celebration with the Lees!!

Come spend an afternoon with the Lees. Shannon and Linda will accompany you on a private tour of San Francisco’s Chinese Hospital where Bruce was born, a private guided Bruce Lee themed walking tour of San Francisco Chinatown, an intimate dim sum lunch, memorable photo opportunities, early access to the Bruce Lee Exhibit and Birthday Dinner, and more! Guests will also receive an exclusive, original, limited edition Bruce Lee art print, an original Bruce Lee business card and many more rare and collectible gifts.

This special Bruce Lee Foundation fundraiser is limited to 16 participants. Reservations are on a first come first served basis. It is anticipated that these spots will fill up fast, so reserve your space now!

This remarkable opportunity will take place during the late morning of Saturday, November 27, 2010. Specific details to follow.

Price:
$1,000.00 per person.
(Limited to 16 participants)

Bruce Lee’s 70th Birthday Dinner!

This special night will bring together martial artists, fans, friends, and family of Bruce Lee in an entertaining fundraising event. The evening will include an authentic, family style Chinese dinner, a Bruce Lee Exhibit featuring rare memorabilia, special guest speakers, a night of performances and entertainment including a lion dance, traditional Chinese fortune telling, and a special musical performance by Shannon Lee, silent and live auctions, Bruce Lee Foundation merchandise, exclusive book signings and much, much more! The Birthday Dinner will take place Saturday, November 27, 2010 from 5:00pm to 10:00pm at:
Empress of China Restaurant
838 Grant Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94108

****tail attire only.

Prices:
$125.00 per person (if purchased before September 15, 2010)
$150.00 per person (if purchased before October 15, 2010)
$175.00 per person (thereafter and at the door)
Special pricing for parties of 10 or more.

Hospital and Chinatown Walking Tours

Want more Bruce Lee? Attend a private tour of San Francisco’s Chinese Hospital where Bruce was born and a guided walking tour which will stop at several significant Bruce Lee related locations within San Francisco Chinatown. The tours are a great way to learn some new and fascinating information about Bruce Lee’s time and experiences in San Francisco. Participants will also gain early access to the Bruce Lee Exhibit and Birthday Dinner!

This charitable event will take place during the afternoon of Saturday, November 27, 2010. Specific details to follow.

Price:
$50.00 per person.
(Space is limited.)

TO REGISTER AND FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Tammy at info@bruceleefoundation.com or Sydnie at 310-451-9990.

Please make all checks payable to Bruce Lee Foundation and mail to:
11693 San Vicente Blvd, Ste 918
Los Angeles, CA 90049

To pay by credit card call Sydnie at 310-451-9990.

With respect to the Birthday Dinner, all payments must be postmarked by the dates specified above for accurate pricing.

Please note that this event takes place over Thanksgiving Weekend, so please make your travel plans now.

GeneChing · December 1, 2010, 5:32pm

Nice overview from WSJ

* DECEMBER 1, 2010, 3:36 A.M. ET

Bruce Lee, My Father
By JASON CHOW

Shannon Lee was thrilled as government officials in Shunde, China, last week unveiled a giant statue of her father, the martial arts and movie icon Bruce Lee.

The likeness stands 18.8-meters (62 feet) tall, next to a plaque that declares “King of Kung Fu.” It is the centerpiece of Bruce Lee Paradise, a 1.89 square kilometer park in this town just south of Guangzhou, China’s third-largest city. The park is already home to a museum dedicated to Bruce Lee which opened in 2002.

In life, Bruce Lee was an actor and dedicated practitioner of martial arts. But in the decades since his death, Lee has become a bona fide cultural icon. View graphic.

“It was really quite impressive,” she said of the statue. “We heard in the past that they were going to construct a theme park. But this isn’t Disneyland. It honors my father.”

While he was alive, and for years after his death in 1973, Lee’s movies were banned in the country of his ancestry; the action star was actually born in San Francisco, and grew up partly in Hong Kong and partly in the U.S. As China opened up to the world from the 1980s, his films started to trickle into the country. The statue in Shunde is just the latest sign that Lee’s legacy is growing within China. A park in the small town of Xiacun, not far from Gaungzhou, also has a statue of Bruce Lee, unveiled in 2008—some in the town claim the place was home to Lee’s ancestors.

“I think it’s great for the people to learn the legacy,” said Ms. Lee, president of Bruce Lee Enterprises, the Los Angeles-based company that handles the licensing and merchandizing of her father’s name and image. “It was a shame that China didn’t have the benefit of that when he was alive, but it’s exciting to see them embrace it now.”

Though Lee’s brand of kung fu films was once blocked in the land of his forefathers, the China of 2010—the year of Lee’s 70th birthday which passed last week—is embracing its long-lost son, and his iconic image.

“He’s so strong, so fit, such a star,” said Huang Dechao, the local government bureaucrat behind the park. “He’s our hero.”

Lee has been lauded in far-flung corners of the world and Bruce Lee Enterprises says his image is worth about $2.5 million a year in revenue.

The movie star’s face has adorned postage stamps in countries including Gambia, Madagascar and Tajikistan. A statue of him in Mostar, Bonsia became a rallying cry for peace when it was unveiled in 2005. In Los Angeles’ Chinatown, officials are pondering a proposal to erect a statue of him as well, while film festivals dedicated to his work have been staged in Japan and Hong Kong.

Advertisers have long known the value of the particular brand of coolness that Lee personified. Last year, Nike created the Nike Zoom Kobe V Bruce Lee line of sneakers that was marketed with images of NBA star Kobe Bryant in kung fu poses. Nokia also launched a special edition phone using the martial arts master.

Kristopher Storti, general counsel of Bruce Lee Enterprises, says the company is targeting $5 million in annual revenues by 2012, which would put Lee’s financial legacy in line with other well-known dead celebrities, such as Steve McQueen and James Dean.

It’s likely the biggest financial rewards will be found in China, where authorities have embraced the concept of “soft power”—the spread of international influence through economic and cultural means.

The process of bringing Bruce Lee back home began to gather speed around the time his daughter Shannon bought back the rights to her father’s image—though not his movies—to her father’s image from Universal Studios in 2008.

The same year, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV approached her to work together on an epic 50-episode television series called “The Legend of Bruce Lee.” The series was a hit—setting network records for viewership during its airing in 2008, with 12% of the national audience tuning in for the final episode—and helped foster a new generation of fans in China.

Ms. Lee, a 41-year-old former actor and singer, was only four years old when her father died of a brain edema. Born in Los Angeles, Ms. Lee and her family were living in Hong Kong when her father died. Afterward, her mother moved the family back to the U.S.

Ms. Lee has made four trips to China this year, mostly on business. One of her main objectives is to rein in unauthorized use of her father’s image. While Bruce Lee Enterprises has endorsed numerous products in China, including toothpaste and Panasonic televisions, the star’s unauthorized image also features widely too. Ms. Lee says officials she has met are supportive of her aims. But she also says it’ll be difficult to enforce a ban on the use of her father’s image in China.

Meanwhile, Chinese fans will see more of Lee—or people playing him—on the big screen and elsewhere. A new movie of his early life, “Bruce Lee, My Brother” starring Aarif Lee, has just been released—though it was made without Shannon Lee’s blessing. New licensing deals, too, are in place in China—he’s the main face in China for Panasonic’s Viera 3-D televisions. Ms. Lee is also in talks with studios in both China and Hollywood to produce films in which her father would be brought to life via computer-generated graphics.

Ultimately, she says she hopes her father will prove a hit with China’s new generation.

“I think he’s such a strong figure, so vital, so powerful and graceful,” she said. “And he really sticks up for the underdog and represents the Chinese people. There’s a lot of pride in that.”

Bruce Lee toothpaste?

GeneChing · June 8, 2011, 11:48pm

Seattle

Bruce Harrell is a Seattle City Councilmember.

Bruce Lee Action Museum May Call Seattle Home
Published by Bruce Harrell at 9:41 am under Featured

Very recently, I met with Ms. Shannon Lee, daughter of famed martial artist, Bruce Lee. Ms. Shannon Lee is the executive director of the Bruce Lee Foundation. She visited here from Los Angeles to discuss the possibility of establishing a Bruce Lee Action Museum here in Seattle. This has been a goal of mine since attending Garfield High School. In the policy work that I do, building an urban infrastructure where youth of all backgrounds can embrace discipline, hard work, self-esteem, and a love of life, is important. Seattle must maintain and establish creative institutions that perpetuate these values

After my meeting with Ms. Lee, I wrote her confirming my interest in helping her establish the Bruce Lee Action Museum in our community. Letter to Shannon Lee (attachment).

Each year in Seattle, thousands of people visit Bruce Lee’s burial site and marvel the fact that Bruce Lee’s home was in Seattle. We are also very fortunate to have some of the most experienced collectors of Bruce Lee paraphernalia reside in Seattle. Moreover, Ms. Shannon Lee made it clear that she would love the Bruce Lee Action Museum to be in Seattle. For these reasons, I will be engaging in exciting work to assist these efforts to benefit Seattle and those who visit our region.

GeneChing · June 28, 2011, 7:06pm

still a love motel

Would it be worth the fee for renting a two-hour room at the love motel, just to snap a touristy pic? I think so.

Plan for Bruce Lee museum in Hong Kong stalls
Min Lee, Associated Press
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Now an hourly motel, the former Hong Kong home of Bruce Lee won’t be turned into a tribute to the star.

Efforts to build a Bruce Lee museum in the late kung fu movie star’s hometown of Hong Kong have been stalled again.

Fans have been calling for an official tribute to the screen icon for years. Their hopes appeared to be answered two years ago when the Hong Kong government and the owner of Lee’s former home reached an agreement to convert the property - a two-story house currently used as an hourly love motel - into a museum.

But the Hong Kong government said Sunday that negotiations with the owner, businessman Yu Pang-lin, have broken down.

“Despite our efforts, we are unable to reach a consensus with the property owner over the scope of the restoration,” the government said in a statement.

Wong Yiu-keung, president of the Hong Kong Bruce Lee Club, said Yu made unreasonable demands, such as wanting to set up his own offices in the museum.

The Hong Kong government said the Lee artifacts it had collected for the planned museum will be used for an exhibition at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum that is expected to open in late 2012.

Lee became a source of Chinese pride by portraying characters who defended the Chinese and the working class from oppressors in films like “Return of the Dragon.” He died in Hong Kong in 1973 at age 32 from swelling of the brain.

The actor has been honored with a statue on Hong Kong’s Avenue of Stars, a waterfront promenade featuring the hand prints of the southern Chinese territory’s noted actors.

GeneChing · August 3, 2011, 4:26pm

A piece of the dragon

Bruce Lee memorabilia set for Hong Kong auction
By Natalie Robehmed, for CNN
August 3, 2011 – Updated 0521 GMT (1321 HKT)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Bruce Lee memorabilia goes to auction August 6 in Hong Kong
13 items are sale, including costume jacket, membership cards, and letter written by Lee
The entire collection is expected to fetch U.S.$113,000

Hong Kong (CNN) – Bruce Lee, the movie icon credited with bringing martial arts to the mainstream, has long been one of Hong Kong’s proudest exports – and come Saturday, Hong Kongers will have a chance to own a piece of history, when 13 pieces of Lee memorabilia go to auction.

The star of classics such as Fists of Fury and Enter the Dragon, Lee was raised in Hong Kong before moving to the United States in 1959 to teach kung fu.

Among the items to be auctioned by Phila China and U.S.-based Kelleher Auctions is a fur-lined, Chinese-style costume jacket, which was custom-made for Lee’s follow-up film to Enter the Dragon. The coat was worn by the star in 1973, just before he died from a reaction to medication.

Other lots include signed student membership cards to Lee’s kung fu schools, and a martial-arts book inscribed by the actor.

Anna Lee, spokeswoman for Phila China auction house, anticipates the auction will go very well. “It is the first time since 1993 – when Lee’s family auctioned 200 items in Los Angeles – that lots of Lee items have gone on sale at once.”

About 150 people are expected to attend the auction in person, with phone bidders dialing in from around the world.

Bidding is expected to focus on one particular item – a three-page letter handwritten by Lee in 1966.

Written to Taky Kimura – fellow kung fu instructor, friend and best man at Lee’s 1964 wedding – the note reveals Lee’s hopes for the future: “I’m looking forward for the T.V. series of ‘Green Hornet’ to come out so that Gung Fu will catch on,” he wrote in one excerpt.

The letter is estimated to sell for between U.S.$25,664 and U.S.$38,496. Phila China expects the 13 lots, which all came from the same American collector, to collectively fetch up to U.S.$113,000.

W. Wong Yiu-keung, chairman of the Bruce Lee Fan Club, says this is a momentous occasion for Bruce Lee fans.

“Those lots are meaningful and memorable that let us know more about Bruce Lee,” he explained.

“Bruce Lee movies had a great impact on both Westerners and non-Westerners – those movies strides across different countries, races and languages.”

After plans to turn Lee’s old home in Hong Kong into a museum fell through this year, this auction is one way for Hong Kongers to finally show Lee some love.
Wonder who that American collector is…

BJJ-Blue · August 5, 2011, 6:13pm

Possessions of kung fu legend Bruce Lee to be auctioned

"HONG KONG (Reuters) - Thirteen items belonging to the late kung fu legend Bruce Lee, including a hand-written letter and a fur-lined coat, are set to go under the hammer in Hong Kong at the weekend.

Among the items to be sold in what is thought to be the largest auction of Lee memorabilia in Hong Kong to date is the fur-lined costume jacket, which was made for Lee’s film “Game of Death” and worn by him in 1973, just before he died of a reaction to medication.

Other items include a letter written in 1966 to Taky Kimura, a friend in Seattle and fellow kung fu instructor who was best man at Lee’s 1964 wedding.

“Actually I think the most important, the best item, is the three-page hand written letter by Bruce Lee,” said Anna Lee, spokesperson for Phila China Auctions, which with U.S.-based Kelleher Auctions is conducting the sale.

“It talked about his early days in Hollywood and how he taught megastars to do kung fu and all that. It’s a letter written to his confidante in Seattle, his student, and his long-time friend.”

The letter is estimated to go for up to $38,500 and all 13 lots – which came from the same U.S. collector – to fetch up to $113,000.

Other lots include signed student membership cards to Lee’s kung fu schools, and a martial arts book inscribed by the actor.

Lee is credited with bringing martial arts into the mainstream and has long been one of Hong Kong’s proudest exports. Even so, plans to turn his old home in Hong Kong into a museum fell through this year.

“Aside from little items here and there on Ebay, there hasn’t been a major auction of his material. The last one we can recall is 1993 when the widow, Mrs. Linda Lee, sold like over 200 items in Los Angeles through an auction house,” Lee said.

“Bruce Lee definitely is popular… I think the legend will continue, definitely.”"

Source:
http://news.yahoo.com/possessions-kung-fu-legend-bruce-lee-auctioned-021620332.html

GeneChing · October 12, 2011, 9:38pm

HK Gallery

Bruce Lee gallery to be set up in Hong Kong
Posted: 12 October 2011 1559 hrs

File photo shows a man viewing an exhibition of the late kung fu legend and film star Bruce Lee. (AFP photo/file/Mike Clarke)

HONG KONG: A gallery in honour of Bruce Lee, who helped make martial arts mainstream with kung fu classics like “Fists of Fury” will be built in Hong Kong.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang announced in his annual policy address Wednesday that the government would set up a gallery in honour of the artist at the government-run Hong Kong Heritage Museum.

The legendary martial arts exponent and actor died in 1973 at the height of his career and his many fans have long demanded a tribute to the star.

The only memorial to the actor is in the town he was born in – San Francisco – and not Hong Kong where he grew up and brought martial arts film into the mainstream with his innovative martial arts choreography.

The actor who played Kato in the original Green Hornet TV series, fueled the Hong Kong film industry with his movies and is credited as an influence other actors such as Jacky Chan.

Fans were disappointed in June when the government said a plan to build a Bruce Lee museum in his old house was cancelled after negotiations with the property’s current owner broke down.

No details were given by the Hong Kong government on the museum plans, which fans welcomed as better than nothing.

“Of course we’re still hoping the government could find ways to turn his old home into a museum,” Wong Yiu-keung, chairman of the Bruce Lee Fan Club in Hong Kong, told AFP.

Long after Lee’s death, his old home was turned into a hotel with rooms rented by the hour at very cheap rates.

A Hong Kong auction in August sold 13 Lee items for a total US$227,000 smashing pre-sale estimates.
Wait, S.F. has the only memorial? Which memorial is that exactly?

GeneChing · October 20, 2011, 11:51pm

Coming around again

I was also contacted about a meeting in Oakland about setting a plaque at the site of Bruce’s first school. I think that meeting was last Monday, but unfortunately I was already booked.

Bruce Lee Action Museum gets a ‘kick’ start
Lee considered Seattle is hometown
Web Reporter Q13 FOX News Online
10:38 a.m. PDT, October 20, 2011
SEATTLE—

Martial arts legend Bruce Lee and his son Brandon are both buried in Seattle. Now a new push to honor their memories with a museum is gaining steam.

Bruce Lee went to school in Seattle, opened a martial arts school in Seattle, and considered Seattle to be his hometown. City councilman Bruce Harrell is holding a fundraiser with Bruce Lee’s daughter Shannon this Friday as part of a capital campaign to raise $10 million dollars.

Harrell is also working with the city`s Office of Economic Development and its office of Arts & Cultural Affairs to try and make the project a reality.

The Bruce Lee Action Museum would include a place where people could do martial arts, as well as a theater, gift store and research library.

Bruce Lee moved to Seattle in the early 1960s where a family friend, Ruby Chow, had a restaurant and had promised Bruce a job and living quarters above the restaurant. He enrolled at Edison Technical School and later the University of Washington where he majored in philosophy and met his future wife.

The fundraiser is this Friday at the Imperial Garden restaurant.

GeneChing · November 2, 2011, 4:21pm

Seattle Museum makes progress

Bruce Lee museum in Seattle gets consideration

Amid the wonky hashing of budgetary items in the Seattle City Council this week was a little glimmer of fun: a proposal to consider a Bruce Lee museum in Seattle.

Actually, it was a proposal (pdf) for a study on the feasibility of such a museum using city resources. But for martial arts fans, that’s progress, considering the idea has been in the works for years.

A 1970s icon, Lee lived in Seattle from 1959 to 1964, and is buried in Lake View Cemetery in Capitol Hill. He died in his prime in 1973, days after his movie “Enter the Dragon” was released.

His surviving family members have been developing a museum in his name through the California-based Bruce Lee Foundation. In June, the family ditched the idea of locating the museum in Hong Kong, where Lee had lived, and expressed interest in opening it in Seattle – preferably in Chinatown or the International District, the city said.

“It’s amazing how popular Bruce Lee is when you go to other countries,” Council president Richard Conlin said in a budget discussion Tuesday. “This is an astonishing opportunity for a great tourist attraction.”

The proposed study would be due next year. It would look at site availability and funding strategies. Says the proposal:

Council sees this as a unique opportunity for the City, one that could provide both a new cultural facility showcasing a figure in Seattle’s recent history, as well as a means for providing economic development opportunities for the Chinatown-International District.

If it happens, can they get Orange Caramel to play for the opening?

GeneChing · August 2, 2012, 4:34pm

Congressional resolution

39th Anniversary of Bruce Lee’s Death Observed
Wed, Aug 1 2012

From left: Rep. Mike Honda, Shanon Lee, Rep. Judy Chu.

WASHINGTON — The 39th anniversary of the death of martial arts star Bruce Lee (1940-1973) was observed with a congressional resolution on July 18.

With the late actor’s daughter, Shannon Lee, present, a statement was made by Rep. Mike Honda (D-San Jose), immediate past chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

The bipartisan resolution was signed by Reps. Honda, Judy Chu (D-El Monte), Hansen Clarke (D-Mich.), Eni Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa), Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Dan Lungren (R-Gold River), Laura Richardson (D-Long Beach), Gregorio Sablan (D-Northern Mariana Islands) and Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove). Chu is the current chair of CAPAC.

Honda’s statement follows:

“The 39th anniversary of Bruce’s death is this week, on July 20. Bruce had, and continues to have, an immeasurable impact on American and global popular culture through the important role he played in creating a bridge between cultures; championing values of self-respect, self-discipline and tolerance in our nation; and pioneering and cultivating the genres of martial arts, martial arts films, fitness, and philosophy in the United States and the world.

“Bruce was born on Nov. 27, 1940, in San Francisco … His family relocate to Hong Kong shortly thereafter, and he experienced first-hand the occupation of Hong Kong by the Japanese during World War II … and the subsequent hostility and war that shook the continent. It was during his time in Hong Kong that Bruce sought out martial arts as a means to gain self-confidence and discipline, as well as to overcome repeated instances of taunting racism and gang activity during his youth.

“In 1959, with only $100 to his name, Bruce boarded a steamship in the American Presidents Line and began his voyage back to San Francisco. Soon thereafter, with much dedication, Bruce threw himself into learning colloquial English in honor and love of America and its culture. He subsequently attended the University of Washington, where he studied philosophy, psychology, drama, and other subjects.

“While at college, Bruce began his legendary martial arts teaching career, initially as a means to pay for his education. Bruce’s willingness to teach martial arts to non-Chinese individuals as a way to bridge the cultures angered many in the field, and he was forced to defend his freedom as well as others’ rights to learn the arts.

“Bruce had a true desire and the fortitude needed to expand the reach of martial arts by breaking away from the exclusionary mentality that limited its reach. His ingenuity and creativity led him to Hollywood, where he became an authentic face for Chinese Americans and an inspiration to youth across the world. Simultaneously, he began to crate his own martial expression, ultimately naming it Jeet Kune Do.

“To millions of people around the world, Bruce Lee remains more than a celebrity or a martial arts legend — he was a true catalyst for social change and civil rights. His memory, which is brought to life every day by the work of his daughter Shannon Lee, who leads the Bruce Lee Foundation, remains a beacon of hope and opportunity for generations to come.

“It is my distinct honor to have introduced H.Res. 654 in this Congress in order to honor the life of Bruce Lee and the continuing contributions of the Bruce Lee Foundation to our nation … We ask our colleagues to join us in paying tribute to the life of Bruce Jun Fan Lee, a cultural and American icon as well as a master teacher, whose legacy resonates throughout the world for posterity.”

Known for such films as “Enter the Dragon,” “The Chinese Connection” and “Fists of Fury” as well as the TV series “The Green Hornet,” Lee is the subject of a new documentary, “I Am Bruce Lee.”

Shannon Lee executive-produced a 2008 TV series, “The Legend of Bruce Lee,” and a 2009 TV documentary, “How Bruce Lee Changed the World.” She has also done some acting, including a brief appearance in “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story” (1993) and a guest-starring role in the TV series “Martial Law” (1998).

Bruce and Linda Lee also had a son, Brandon, who became an action film star (“Showdown in Little Tokyo,” “Rapid Fire”) and died while filming “The Crow” in 1993.

During her stay in Washington, D.C., Shannon Lee meet with members of Washington state’s congressional delegation to rally support for the Bruce Lee Action Museum.

“It was inspiring to see bipartisan efforts made on my father’s behalf,” she said of the House resolution. “I am truly touched and so honored for my father and his legacy.”
The Bruce Lee Action Museum?

Fa_Xing · August 2, 2012, 5:09pm

[QUOTE=GeneChing;1181773]The Bruce Lee Action Museum?[/QUOTE]

Yeah, we’ve been waiting for B.L.A.M. to get off the ground for some time now. Glad to see something positive come out of congress lately.

GeneChing · October 24, 2012, 9:18pm

This would make a great new office for Kung Fu Tai Chi

We could buy it, move there, and turn our present office into a love motel.

Kung fu legend Bruce Lee’s home up for grabs: Report
Agence France-Presse | Updated: October 24, 2012 14:04 IST

Hong Kong: Kung fu legend Bruce Lee’s former residence in Hong Kong will be put up for sale after a plan to turn the property into a museum dedicated to the icon failed, a report said on Wednesday.

Philanthropist Yu Panglin, who owns the mansion, which became a rundown ‘love hotel’, said he was planning to sell the property for HK $180 million ($23 million) after talks with the government for the museum collapsed last year.

“I’m no longer considering (the museum plan) since the government is not supportive,” the 90-year-old billionaire told Hong Kong’s Chinese-language Singtao Daily in an interview.

“I’m running out of patience, I don’t want to wait anymore,” he said, adding that the hotel owner had failed to pay rent for two years due to poor business, with the property in urgent need of refurbishment.

Lee’s legions of fans have long-demanded a significant hometown tribute to the Chinese-American star, who died in 1973 at the age of 32 after helping to bring martial arts to the mainstream with classic kung fu films such as “Fists of Fury” (1971) and “Enter the Dragon” (1973).

However they were left disappointed after the Hong Kong government shelved the museum plan in June last year, saying it failed to reach a consensus with Yu following two years of negotiations, without giving details.

Yu told Singtao Daily the government rejected his proposal to expand the mansion – Lee’s last residence – by adding three floors to include a cinema, library and martial arts training centre, which were his conditions to donate the property.

The 5,000 square-foot (460 square-metre) two-storey house in Hong Kong’s upscale residential district of Kowloon Tong was turned into a short-stay hotel with rooms rented for as little as US $ 25 an hour, usually to amorous couples.

Yu could not be reached Wednesday for comment.

The star died in Hong Kong after a severe reaction to medication. His fans have criticised the lack of a larger memorial to their hero in his hometown, except for a statue on the waterfront Avenue of Stars.

Authorities said in October last year a gallery would be set up in Lee’s honour at the government-run Hong Kong Heritage Museum.

GeneChing · November 30, 2012, 6:39pm

Anyone got $23 mil?

Posted on Nov 29, 2012 04:53 PM EST
Bruce Lee’s Former Hong Kong Mansion For Sale; Live Like a King fu Master for $23M

(Photo : Reuters) The owner of the palatial residence, philanthropist Yu Pang-lin, said he was planning to sell the property for $23 million after talks with the government for the museum collapsed in 2011.

Legendary actor and master of Kung fu Bruce Lee’s former Hong Kong, China home will be up for sale following numerous failed attempts to transform the property into a museum dedicated to the icon, according to the New York Daily News.

Lee’s former home had fallen into a dismal state in recent years, and had been operating as a rundown “love hotel,” the kind of hotel where couples pay by the hour, if you catch our drift.

The owner of the palatial residence, philanthropist Yu Pang-lin, said he was planning to sell the property for $23 million after talks with the government for the museum collapsed in 2011.

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Lee’s former home is a 5,000 square foot two-story house in Hong Kong’s upscale residential district of Kowloon Tong.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Pang-lin said he originally wanted to see residence turned into a museum dedicated to Lee before he died. He also said he would only rent, not sell, the land on which it stood. The Town Planning Board rejected Yu’s plan to build two floors under the Kowloon Tong house for formal exhibitions.

Pang-lin told the Singtao Daily the government rejected his proposal to expand the by adding three floors to include a cinema, library and martial arts training centre, which were his conditions to donate the property.

“I’m no longer considering (the museum plan) since the government is not supportive,” the 90-year-old billionaire told Hong Kong’s Chinese-language Singtao Daily in an interview.

“I’m running out of patience, I don’t want to wait anymore,” he said. Proving that even the oldest profession isn’t recession proof, he added that the hotel owner hadn’t paid rent in two-years because of poor business. The property is in disrepair and is in urgent need of renovation, he said.

(Photo: Reuters) Lee’s home had turned into a rundown “love hotel” in recent years.

Famous for bringing martial arts international acclaim and recognition with classic Kung fu films like “Fists of Fury,” and “Enter the Dragon,” unsurprisingly, Lee’s rabid army of fans have demanded a hometown tribute to the martial arts star since his untimely death in 1973 at the age of 32.

For whatever reason, the local Hong Kong government seems utterly apathetic to preserving Lee’s legacy in a formal museum. In June of 2011, it said the group failed to reach a consensus with Pang-lin after two years of negotiations, without providing further details.

Lee’s fans have vowed to not stop fighting for a monument worthy of their hero’s legacy.

“If the house is sold and re-developed or demolished later, I think the Hong Kong people and Bruce Lee fans worldwide will be very disappointed,” Wong Yiu-keung, chairman of the Bruce Lee Fan Club in Hong Kong, told AFP, according to the Daily News.

“We hope the government can try to persuade Yu again,” he added.

Lee died in Hong Kong after a sever reaction to medication. The star’s fans have long criticized the city for not providing a larger memorial than the statue that is currently on the town’s waterfront Avenue of Stars.

Bruce Lee - A Rare Look Inside His House - RARE FOOTAGE

GeneChing · February 4, 2013, 5:34pm

Jimbo, don’t get me started on feng sham…

…but a garden would be nice. Nothing like a nice garden for good feng shui…:rolleyes:

Originally published Sunday, February 3, 2013 at 8:00 PM
Latest snag for Lee garden: money

After years of planning and resistance from the University of Washington, organizers face one last challenge to creating a garden in honor of Bruce Lee and the Duwamish Tribe.

By Sarah Freishtat
Seattle Times staff reporter

Jamil Suleman has fought for almost five years to create a community garden on the University of Washingtons campus commemorating minority contributions.

The self-described social activist has faced skepticism from the schools administration. Hes changed the gardens focus from a memorial to actor Bruce Lee to a garden promoting the teachings of Lee and the Duwamish Tribe.

Now he faces one more hurdle: raising the money for it.

There is never going to be a true unification of people as long as certain peoples and histories are ignored, said Suleman, who graduated from the UW in 2007 and now works as a freelance artist and tutor. This garden is kind of a holistic effort to shine light on those contributions.

The idea for the project originated during a class on the comparative history of ideas the 28-year-old Suleman taught at UW the fall after he graduated. Since its inception, the idea has gained support from the Bruce Lee Foundation, Lees family, community members and UW students.

The school, though now supportive of the effort, has declined to fund it.

Supporters hope to raise $100,000 by March; they say that would be enough to build and maintain the 2.5-acre Community Peace Garden on an untouched patch of land that houses native plants and animals, just south of Drumheller Fountain.

Initially, the UW resisted the effort to create a memorial to Lee, an action-movie star and martial-arts instructor who attended the UW and was buried in Seattle after his death in 1973.

A university spokesman questioned why this memorial should be on the UW campus, and why now. The official pointed out that Lee attended the UW for three years but did not graduate.

Supporters, however, argued that the school doesnt adequately recognize its minorities. They maintained that Lee was one of its most famous students, so the school should honor his teachings and also that Lee had met his wife at the UW.

Suleman wanted to publicize Lees philosophical side as well. Lee preached unity and acceptance, teaching under sky, under leaves, but one family.

The gardens organizers found a similar philosophy in Duwamish teachings, and incorporated the tribe into the plans. University officials began supporting the project, and landscape architect Katherine Kenney worked with Suleman to select a location.

During Sulemans 2007 class, students originally wanted to honor Lee with a statue, but they decided Lees teachings would be better served through a meditative garden for students. They planned a garden that would intrude as little as possible on the native soil.

Shannon Lee, of California, the youngest of Bruce Lees two children, said she is happy about the choice to create a garden, saying it reflects her fathers lifestyle and teachings.

Im passionate about the depth and meaning of my fathers legacy, above and beyond the fact that he starred in a few films, said Lee, who runs many companies and charities dedicated to her father. This project speaks to that.

Suleman approached Duwamish Chair Cecile Hansen last fall, wanting to provide a memorial to the regions original occupants. While Hansen didnt see exactly how her tribe fit into a Bruce Lee memorial, she was happy to accept Sulemans offer.

It doesnt fit together, but any time they remember the tribe we love it, Hansen said.

Sulemans efforts have supporters outside the UW community. Stefan Grunkemeier, who works at Simply Rocks landscaping in Seattle, volunteered to design the garden, wanting to encourage his friends efforts.

Jamil brings people together who normally wouldnt be together, Grunkemeier said. Thats his persona. Thats the theme behind this project, and that was Bruce Lees philosophy.

Sarah Freishtat: 206-464-2373 or sfreishtat@seattletimes.com

Also, there’s a museum fundraiser coming up…

Bruce Lee Supporters Unite for Bruce Lee Action Museum Fundraiser
Giant Fundraising Kickoff for Bruce Lee Action Museum in Seattle on February 9 Sponsored by HKAW Foundation
Seattle, WA (PRWEB) February 01, 2013

A fundraising kickoff for the highly anticipated Bruce Lee Action Museum will be sponsored by the prestigious HKAW Foundation, on February 9th, 2013 at the Sheraton Hotel in Seattle. A record 1,000 people are expected to attend.

As a tribute to Bruce Lee, the seminal figure in the world of martial arts and a major figure in Asian American relations, Enter The Dragon cast members Bob Wall and John Saxon, UFC star Cung Le and other celebrities will be in attendance. Additionally, Bruce Lees wife, Linda, and daughter, Shannon will speak at the event.

Acclaimed Seattle-based couture fashion designer, Luly Yang will showcase a selection of her beautiful ****tail and evening creations for the event.

An auction that evening will feature rare Bruce Lee memorabilia, a special jewelry donation by Tiffany and Co., as well as amazing travel opportunities sponsored by Hainan Airlines, United Airlines, Park Hyatt Beijing, Park Hyatt Shanghai, Grand Hyatt Taipei, among others.

“I applaud the Bruce Lee Foundation and the Hong Kong Association of Washington for working to preserve and promote the life of one of Seattle’s great cultural figures,” said Mayor Mike McGinn. “I can’t wait to visit the new museum.”

Benjamin Lee, Chairman of HKAW Foundation says, We are thrilled that the Bruce Lee Family have selected Seattle as the home for this fantastic museum and we are putting all our resources behind supporting this important future landmark for Seattle and the Asian Community.

Says Shannon Lee, Chairperson of the Bruce Lee Foundation, We are delighted that HKAW Foundation has chosen to support The Bruce Lee Action Museum. This museum will explore all things Bruce Lee and the richness of his legacy of meaningful action in such a complete way.

For ticket information please refer to http://gala2013.hkawfoundation.org.

HKAW Foundation is a Seattle based 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity organization established by a group of Americans of Asian Descent community leaders and managed by world business leaders with the mission to share and support the advancement of arts, literatures, sciences, technologies and humanitarians regardless of race, religion, or political affiliation.
The Bruce Lee Action Museum is a project of the Bruce Lee Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity whose mission is to preserve and perpetuate the legacy of Bruce Lee for generations to come. The Bruce Lee Foundation seeks to carry out its mission primarily through educational means with the Bruce Lee Action Museum being the ultimate expression of this mission.

Contact:

HKAW Foundation
Rudy Huang
CIO/Program Director 2013 Chinese New Year Black Tie Gala
206-552-9237
Rhuang(dot)PR(at)hkawfoundation(dot)org

Bruce Lee Foundation
Charlotte Parker
Parker Public Relations
818-990-2252
CParkerPR(at)aol(dot)com

GeneChing · February 15, 2013, 6:08pm

From Seattle to Hong Kong

Enter the long-awaited Bruce Lee show
Late kung fu star’s clothing, pictures and tools will go on display for the first time in July as part of a long-awaited exhibition to run for five years
Thursday, 14 February, 2013, 12:00am

Vivienne Chow vivienne.chow@scmp.com

The Bruce Lee exhibition will include a documentary and interviews.

More than 100 items of memorabilia telling the life story of late kung fu legend Bruce Lee will go on display for the first time in July.

The five-year Bruce Lee exhibition at the Heritage Museum in Sha Tin is the result of efforts by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department after a plan to convert the star’s former home into a museum fell through.

The department said most of the exhibits would be on loan from the Bruce Lee Foundation, a public benefit corporation which aims to promote and preserve the legacy of the late star, run by his family - wife Linda Lee Cadwell and daughter Shannon Lee.

The items will include clothing, pictures and tools used by Lee to practice kung fu. The items have never been shown publicly.

The exhibition, covering over 600 square metres, will also feature a 2-1/2 hour documentary telling Lee’s life story and interviews with those who were close to him.

In 2008, philanthropist Yu Panglin offered to donate Lee’s former home, a two-storey house at 41 Cumberland Road in Kowloon Tong, in the hope of turning it into a museum. But the conditions to expand the house into a fully fledged museum complex could not be agreed upon, and the plan was scrapped in 2011.

The Legislative Council last year approved funding of HK$24.8 million to stage an exhibition commemorating the influential screen icon, who died in 1973. “We believe this will be hugely popular,” said Leisure and Cultural Services director Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee, adding the department would work with the Tourism Board and Travel Industry Council to promote the show to visitors. The exhibition will run for five years, after which it will be reviewed by the department.

The Bruce Lee show won’t be the year’s only cultural highlight. From May, mainland critic Pi Daojian will guest curate The Eternal Tao: New Dimensions in Chinese Contemporary Art at the Museum of Art - a look at Chinese art from a diaspora perspective, featuring works by more than 40 Chinese artists from the mainland, Hong Kong and beyond. And a public art space will be created outside the museum in a revamp.

The department said it would organise more exhibitions by guest curators in the coming year, and develop collectors’ series showing works that were in the hands of private collectors.

Last year, public museums saw record-high visitor numbers - totalling 5,795,426. Some 299,662 people saw Imperishable Affection: The Art of Feng Zikai at the Museum of Art. The Roman Tam exhibition at the Heritage Museum had 474,117 visitors.

There’s a vid if you follow the link below. I didn’t watch it. If anyone here does, let me know if it’s worth watching or if it just reiterates what is in the article below.

Bruce Lee museum moves forward
3 days ago
by John Hopperstad
Q13 FOX News reporter and weekend anchor

SEATTLE — A major step was made Saturday in the creation of the Bruce Lee Action Museum when more than 1,000 attended a fundraising event downtown.

Nearly 40 years since his death, Lee remains very much alive in our culture a an icon known and celebrated worldwide.

“You see him up on screen and you really get this sense of this dynamism, he’s very electric, he pulls you in,” said Lee’s daughter, Shannon.

Shannon Lee said that is the way her father was with everything in life — from his philosophical beliefs to his teachings — always in action, and that is why it will be called the Bruce Lee Action Museum.

“The beauty and the reason his legacy lasts today is because of the depth of it and because he took action in so many different ways,” she said. “I think that people really are inspired by him — and that’s really my mission to keep that inspiration going.”

She said the new museum won’t just house history and memorabilia of her father, but it will also be interactive and will have things like training facilities and meditation rooms.

She added that there has never been a question that seattle would be the place to call it home.

“My father has ties to lots of different locations — Hong Kong, Los Angeles, San Francisco — but my father is buried here in Seattle at Lakeview Cemetery. He always thought of Seattle as his hometown. He always said that some day, maybe after the movie career and all that, he would want to settle and have a home in Seattle. And that’s why my mom brought him back here to be buried because he loved Seattle so much,” she said.

There are already a few locations they are scouting for the museum and Shannon Lee said that the time frame is two to five years before they hope to open the museum.

GeneChing · June 7, 2013, 6:22pm

Bruce two-fer

The second one is really funny to me.

Historic Dedication Made In Honor Of Bruce Lee During LA Chinatown’s 75th Anniversary
PR NewswirePR Newswire – Wed, Jun 5, 2013

LOS ANGELES, June 5, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – Bruce Lee, an important icon for both Chinese and Americans alike, will be honored during Los Angeles Chinatown’s historic 75th Anniversary on June 15th, 2013. This event will be held in conjunction with LA Chinatown’s popular annual series, Chinatown Summer Nights (www.chinatownsummernights.com).

Jason Fujimoto, Board Member of the Los Angeles Chinatown Corp. (LACC), said the dedication, which is a joint effort of LACC and the Bruce Lee Foundation, will honor the legacy of LA Chinatown’s founding members, Bruce Lee and Mr. Lee’s family. Incorporated in 1938, LACC is one of the oldest organizations in the Chinatown community and whose shareholders are directly descended from the founding members of LA Chinatown. LACC is a privately held corporation that manages several properties, including the iconic Chinatown Central Plaza which many consider to be the “heart of Chinatown” and where numerous events in Chinatown are held.

The Bruce Lee Foundation, a non-profit organization, seeks to preserve, perpetuate and disseminate many of Bruce Lee’s philosophies and life’s work through events, educational programming, martial arts instruction and the Bruce Lee Museum.

The dedication will include elected officials at the local, state and federal level, Bruce Lee’s family, the Bruce Lee Foundation, LA Chinatown community leaders and corporate sponsors. The event includes a banquet at the iconic Golden Dragon Restaurant and the ground breaking for Bruce Lee’s statue in Central Plaza the evening of June 15th, 2013. The dedication begins at 7:45 pm.

The significance of the dedication on June 15th coincides with the 75th anniversary of LA Chinatown. In 1938, after the original Chinatown was moved from Union Station, “New Chinatown” was established and the design and operational concepts for it evolved through a collective community process, resulting in a blend of Chinese and American architecture. LA Chinatown saw major development, especially as a tourist attraction throughout the 1930s and as a center of commerce for Chinese-Americans.

Central Plaza is located at 943-951 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, 90012. For more information visit www.chinatownla.com or call 213 680-0243.

Big-bellied Bruce Lee poster by Mumbai restaurant attracts protests
Mon, 06/03/2013 - 09:48
By Sanjay Sharma Raj

Mumbai, June 3 (Washington Bangla Radio): Mumbai City’s Facing East restaurant owners may not be able to believe their luck. A big-bellied poster of Bruce Lee with momo in his fingers has attracted more attention they paid for. With the support of local MLA Krishna Hegde, Chitah Yajness Shetty, founder of Chitah Jeet Kune-Do Federation from Mumbai has protested against what he calls “the intentional awful act of the restaurants management (sic).”

Yajness Shetty along with students of his federation marked the protest by pasting ‘SORRY’ poster at the signage at Juhu tara Road, opposite J.W.Mariott Hotel and submitted a letter to the restaurant management over the maligning portrayal.

MLA Krishan Hegde said “this is not only a disrespectfully featured image but it is also shocking to notice that the management of an up market restaurant has gone ahead without taking necessary permissions to use the Bruce Lee’s image to promote the outlet.”

“Bruce Lee’s world famous pose has ‘Momo’ in fingers caused a deep dis-comfort to millions of Martial Art followers and lovers,” said Chitah Yajness Shetty, who represents Bruce Lee Federation India. He has further demanded satisfactory response from restaurant’s management over permission to use Sijo Bruce Lee’s image officially. He also demanded an written apology and compensation for Bruce Lee Foundation, US.

“Mr Obaid from Facing East has verbally assured to remove the objectionable signage after the protest,” the protesters added.

GeneChing · June 28, 2013, 1:05am

We really should map all of these.

Another Bruce statue

Bruce Lee Museum Exhibition to Launch in Hong Kong
2:56 AM PDT 6/27/2013 by Clarence Tsui

Forty years after his death, the late martial arts star will be celebrated as the pride of Hong Kong in a multi-media show at the citys Heritage Museum.

HONG KONG For years, Bruce Lee aficionados visiting Hong Kong could only pay tribute to their idol by taking pictures of his statue at the city’s harbor-side Avenue of Stars. Rejoice now, kung fu fans: a full-fledged, officially-endorsed exhibition about Lee will soon open its doors in the master’s hometown, 40 years after his death.

Unveiled at a press conference on Wednesday, the government-run Hong Kong Heritage Museums Bruce Lee: Kung Fu * Art * Life exhibition is slated to feature 600 Lee-related artifacts, including loans from the Bruce Lee Foundation and the Hong Kong Film Archive. Among them will be 100 items related to The Green Hornet TV series, in which Lee played Kato.

The exhibition will also include the showing of a 75-minute documentary, The Brilliant Life of Bruce Lee, produced by the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, and a 3-D hologram animation from local artist Shannon Ma showcasing the stars trademark nunchaku moves and flying kicks. A new 11.5-foot statue statue will be unveiled as well – the work of local sculptor Chu Tat-shing

Meanwhile, the exhibition which is slated to run for five years at the museum will be supplemented by a series of extra-curricular activities, with the first program being a talk by the actors daughter and former actress Shannon Lee, in July.

The exhibition will begin on July 20, the 40thanniversary of Lees death – a rather belated celebration, which should help conclude years of local debate over how the action star should be honored in the city where he grew up and shot to stardom with films such as The Kid, Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon.

While the U.S.-born star has been revered by the Chinese diaspora as their hero and also by filmgoers worldwide as a pioneering martial arts expert – with tangible commemorations ranging from statues in the Bosnian city of Mostar, to a museum in the southern Chinese city of Shunde – efforts to establish a permanent memorial to Lee in Hong Kong have been repeatedly thwarted by red tape, entangled finances, and moral posturing by politicians over Lees personal life.

In 1999, the citys Urban Council approved plans to establish a memorial gallery dedicated to Lee in the then under-construction Hong Kong Film Archive building, but it was never brought to fruition after an official report deemed the addition of such a gallery as running against official safety concerns. (There was no room for the councilors to revamp the plan: the Urban Council was abolished at the end of that year.)

It was understood that the decision was partly down to high-ranking officials doubts about the circumstances of Lees death: the fact that he passed away at the home of actress Betty Ting Pei – the official line was that the pair were working on a script together – has fuelled much speculation over the decades about the martial arts actors personal life, as well as endless speculation over what actually brought about the cerebral edema that killed him in 1973.

More recently, plans were afoot in 2008 to transform Lees former two-story home in Kowloon Tong – a building which has since become a love motel, and stands just blocks away from where he died – into a museum. The conversion never materialized as the current landlord and the Hong Kong government failed to agree on the terms on which the project could be greenlit.

Lees legacy has since been sanctioned whole-heartedly by the authorities: the exhibition is set to be part of Hong Kong: Our Home, a large-scale official campaign designed to call for social harmony just as the city bubbles with widespread anger against what has been perceived as flawed governance since a new chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, was installed on July 1 of last year.

In the exhibition launch on Wednesday, Leisure and Cultural Services Department director Betty Fung described the actor as the pride of Hong Kong and said that his influence continues to cross the boundaries of region, race and even age. It remains to be seen whether Lee, 40 years after his death, can become that sort of political and cultural unifier for the city but at least Lee’s global fans will finally have an appropriate destination for a kung fu pilgrimage.

Bruce Lee show could grow into permanent exhibit
Heritage Museum hopes fans will come forward with mementoes to bolster its collection
Thursday, 27 June, 2013 [Updated: 5:22AM]

The largest Bruce Lee exhibition yet staged in Hong Kong could become permanent if fans or acquaintances of the late kung fu star come forward and donate enough mementoes.

Introducing “Bruce Lee: Kung Fu * Art * Life” at the Heritage Museum yesterday, director of Leisure and Cultural Services Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee said it was “not impossible” for the government to set up a permanent show. But the collection needed more than its current 600 pieces, Fung said.

“What we have is not enough,” she said. “Thus we hope that this exhibition can become a platform that arouses people’s interest to make donations.”

The five-year exhibition opens on July 20, the 40th anniversary of Lee’s death.

Its items include notes showing Lee’s handwriting and drawings, a replica of his application form for an American citizen’s return certificate from when he was a baby, costumes and nunchaku he used.

More than 400 pieces are on loan from the exhibition’s co-organiser, the Bruce Lee Foundation, a public benefit corporation run by Lee’s widow Linda Lee Cadwell and daughter Shannon Lee.

The exhibition was organised after plans fell apart to convert Lee’s former home, a two-storey house at 41 Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong, into a museum.

The plan emerged in 2008 when landlord Yu Panglin offered to donate the house but only on condition that it could be expanded into a full-fledged museum. The idea was scrapped in 2011 after Yu and the government could not agree on the conditions.

But the exhibition had already started to take shape and it eventually grew into its current form. The museum expects to receive 2.5 million visitors during the five-year run of the show, which received HK$24.8 million in funding from the Legislative Council.

The Sha Tin museum’s approach to the show was different from what it had used previously and proved challenging, said the museum’s curator for history, Jeremy Hui.

“For past exhibitions, we told stories through a timeline and a narration through [the subject’s] life events, such as the Roman Tam exhibition. But Lee had such a rich life, albeit a short one. He played different roles, from being a superstar to a martial artist and even a philosopher,” Hui said.

“We wanted to tell a story about his life journey from different perspectives by putting it into Hong Kong’s cultural context.”

A series of talks will be held to coincide with the exhibition, and the Tourism Commission will promote it overseas. Online bookings begin on July 4.

GeneChing · July 3, 2013, 4:35pm

108 different cha cha dance steps

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