Editorial | Bruce Lee celebrations can spur efforts to preserve his cultural legacy
Despite Lee’s popularity in Hong Kong and around the world, there is still no museum in the city dedicated to him
Hong Kong has embarked on a drive to provide visitors with exciting new experiences, forging plans to develop tourist hotspots that appeal to the tastes of today’s travellers. While drawing visitors to remote corners and hidden gems, the city should not forget the enduring appeal of its cultural icons.
The Bruce Lee Club hopes to extend the trail, which takes in a bronze statue of Lee on the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui. Donations are needed to restore signboards along the route.
Hong Kong could do more to celebrate the legacy of one of its most famous sons. Lee was born in San Francisco but he lived, worked and died in Hong Kong, starring in kung fu films in the early 1970s which brought him worldwide fame. Tragically, the star died suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 32, just before his blockbuster movie Enter the Dragon became a global hit.
Lee was transformative, taking Chinese martial arts to the world, changing perceptions of Asians in Hollywood films and becoming a symbol of anti-colonialism. His life continues to be an inspiration.
Despite the star’s popularity in Hong Kong and around the world, there is still no museum in the city dedicated to him. The local Bruce Lee Club venue, which displayed memorabilia, closed amid financial difficulties earlier this year.