Bruce Lee Museums and Gallery Exhibits

[GeneChing]

Bruce Lee: SF vs. Shunde

Lately there's been a wave of 'unauthorized' Bruce Lee projects (http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/article.php?Article=3319). It's a big issue since unlike the estates of Elvis or Marilyn Monroe, it crosses into China where estate rights aren't necessarily upheld (the lawsuit about Jet Li's FEARLESS is a classic example). The one that's making a lot of news now is Shunde's Bruce Lee Museum.

What's In a Name? Cash
Bruce Lee's family tries to guard his legacy against Chinese entrepreneurs looking to turn a profit. (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-brucelee27aug27,0,554482.story?coll=la-home-entertainment)
By Robert W. Welkos and Don Lee, Times Staff Writers August 27, 2006

In the southern Chinese city of Shunde, a two-hour boat ride from Hong Kong, government officials are finalizing plans to build a Bruce Lee theme park, complete with a memorial hall and a large statue of the man they call the town's favorite "son."

Never mind that the legendary Chinese American kung fu star was born in San Francisco and visited Shunde only briefly, when he was a boy of 5. Shunde is the hometown of Lee's father and grandfather, and that was enough for local resident Wang Dechao to prod the government to plow $125,000 into opening a Bruce Lee museum in an old teashop in Shunde in 2002.

Since then, more than 300,000 people, some paying $1 for admission, have come to see its collection of Bruce Lee's rare letters, film posters and other memorabilia. Wang, who now works for Shunde's cultural and sports authority, hopes to move the museum to the new theme park, which he says is projected to cost $19 million and open before the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

CCTV, China's national network, has plans to produce a 40-part documentary about Bruce Lee. Meanwhile, Bruce Lee's brother, Robert, is planning a movie about him, as is one of Lee's former students. They all have their sights set on completing the works by the Beijing Olympics.

"I believe we will see another round of Bruce Lee fever," Wang said.

Although he has been dead 33 years, Bruce Lee remains an enduringly powerful cultural figure. What if, people often ask, he hadn't died at age 32, barely a month before the release of his blockbuster film "Enter the Dragon"? Most believe that film would have catapulted him into the ranks of Hollywood's superstars. But what then?

It's a question that his widow, Linda Cadwell, 61, often asks herself. "I think about it a lot — what he missed," Cadwell said in a recent interview. "Professionally, I'm sure he probably would have stayed in the film industry and the performing industry, but maybe not always as an actor, because he loved to write." Then, pausing, she added that this year, "He would be 66."

When he died July 20, 1973, in Hong Kong, Lee left no will and was not a wealthy man. In those days, there weren't the movie-based action figures and video and computer games that line store shelves today. The estates of dead celebrities hadn't yet amassed the staggering licensing fees that they do today, when, say, Elvis Presley or Marilyn Monroe can generate millions annually. "In the early years, there really weren't things to license," Cadwell said. "There were key chains or a puppet doll that looked like Bruce," but little else.

Now, though, Bruce Lee would seem to be a natural as a brand name advertisers and vendors could use to sell products. Mark Roesler, chairman and chief executive of CMG Worldwide, the business agent for the heirs of more than 300 dead celebrities, estimates that Bruce Lee could generate yearly licensing fees in the seven-figure range.

Although Roesler doesn't represent Lee's estate, he sees the martial arts star's earning prospects as good. "He is an icon that is known throughout the world, and when you have someone like a Bruce Lee or a James Dean, someone who has a very strong name recognition, their myth and their legend seems to grow over the years and they can maintain a very consistent revenue source."

Indeed, although he achieved stardom three decades ago, Lee's fame has hardly dimmed. He is still regarded as one of the most influential martial artists of the 20th century, a precursor to kung fu stars such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Chuck Norris. In his teens, he had formal martial arts training in Wing Chun kung fu under a master teacher in Hong Kong. Lee's style was known as Jeet Kune Do (Way of the Intercepting Fist). He was famous for a combat technique called the "one-inch punch."

But it was not only his skill at martial arts that won fans, Cadwell said, it was his philosophy and way of life.

Known far and wide

AROUND the world, his likeness has taken on a symbolic life of its own, even in places as far-flung as Mostar, Bosnia, where a life-size statue of Lee posed in a defensive fighting posture stands. The bronze statue, erected last year, serves as a symbol of healing ethnic tensions in a land that in the 1990s was racked by civil war among Muslims, Serbs and Croats.

"Because of the fighting that had gone on there, a lot of the monuments had been destroyed," said Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee, 37. "They wanted to put them back but there was a lot of disagreement about what representative … they should put up. Apparently, they could all agree on a statue of Bruce Lee. And the reason they chose him is not because he's a martial arts star, but he represents somebody who had a lot of ethnic struggle in his lifetime and overcame it. So, to them, he is a unifying force and representative of somebody who overcame that."

That kind of enduring resonance is why Cadwell and Shannon Lee are taking steps to ensure his reputation stays intact. That means no licensing of tobacco products, alcohol or weapons bearing his image. "There's a place for weapons" in martial arts training, Cadwell said, "but not these ninja stars."

"Basically, what we try to do is run the business with my father's legacy always in mind," said Shannon Lee, who is managing partner of Concord Moon, a Los Angeles-based limited partnership that owns all rights to Bruce Lee's name, likeness, trademarks and works. There is a satellite office in Hong Kong and there will be one soon in Beijing, so that anyone wanting to capitalize on Bruce Lee's name knows who to contact. Concord Moon's current plans for Bruce Lee-related entertainment projects include an animated television series, a CGI movie, an animated feature film, a live-action TV series, and a Broadway musical being developed by David Henry Hwang, whose "M. Butterfly" won a Tony Award in 1988 for best play.

Shannon Lee confirmed that Concord Moon has authorized the CCTV project but has not given its approval for any theme park and has not authorized Robert Lee's plans for a biopic. However, she noted that as Bruce Lee's brother he is free to do what he wants and that the family is not squabbling.

Li Cheng, executive director of J.A. Media in Beijing, which is producing the movie, wouldn't comment on whether Lee's widow and daughter had been consulted or whether they had authorized the production, saying only that "we don't want to film the story without his family's permission. In other words, we are open to discussing legal issues as well as suggestions on the movie."


Shunde may claim Bruce Lee's Ancestral Home (http://www.shunde.gov.cn/english/page.php?sign=54&id=106), but Lee is a S.F. native all the way. (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=280)

[GeneChing]

You'd think it could be parlayed into a decent tourist trap...:rolleyes:


Hong Kong fans fight to save Bruce Lee's last home as museum (http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/214713,hong-kong-fans-fight-to-save-bruce-lees-last-home.html)
Posted : Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:53:00 GMT

Hong Kong - Fans of kung fu legend Bruce Lee are campaigning to save the Hong Kong home where he spent his final years as a museum, a news report said Wednesday. The two-storey house in the city's exclusive Kowloon Tong residential district, where Lee and his family were living at the time of his death in 1973, is being sold by its owner to raise money for earthquake relief in China, the South China Morning Post reported.

The 530-square-metre residence in Cumberland Street was expected to fetch about 13 million US dollars when bids for it and four other properties owned by entrepreneur Yu Panglin close Wednesday.

Fans of Lee, who starred in films that include Fists of Fury and Enter the Dragon, have appealed to the Hong Kong government to buy the house as a memorial to the city's best-known movie star.

Lee lived with his wife, Linda Lee-Cadwell, in the house, which he affectionately named the Crane's Nest. He died mysteriously at 32 at the peak of his stardom at the home of an actress friend in another part of Kowloon Tong.

Hong Kong officials, apparently wary of Lee's hell-raising reputation, have repeatedly resisted calls to create any permanent memorial to the movie star, and his home was used five years ago as a "love hotel," where couples rented rooms at hourly rates.

Bruce Lee Club chairman Wong Yiu-keung told the Post that it was "humiliating" that there was no proper place to commemorate the first Chinese celebrity to gain worldwide fame.

"It is humiliating enough to have the late star's former residence being turned into a love hotel," he said. "Hong Kong has been using Bruce Lee to promote the city, but what has Hong Kong done for him?"

Cultural critic Chip Tsao pointed out to the newspaper that Hong Kong's government was spending hundreds of millions of US dollars compensating chicken farmers after the latest bird-flu scare.

"Does Bruce Lee have a lower status than chickens?" Tsao asked.

A statue to Lee was erected a few years ago along the Victoria Harbour waterfront after years of pressure from his fans in Hong Kong and overseas.

However, his childhood residence and the Golden Harvest studio, where he filmed his most famous movies, have been demolished.

[GeneChing]

Maybe Paul Simon will write a song about it.


Tycoon to turn Bruce Lee's last home into museum (http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilNews/idUKHKG2373220080707?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0)
Mon Jul 7, 2008 12:56pm BST

HONG KONG (Reuters) - The billionaire owner of Bruce Lee's final home hopes to build a museum to the martial arts legend, giving in to public calls to prevent the sale of the luxury house in a northern Hong Kong suburb for millions of dollars.

Philanthropist hotel and real estate tycoon Yu Panglin, 86, had put Lee's two-storey, 5,699 square-foot town house in an upscale, leafy Kowloon suburb up for sale but changed his mind, giving in to fans' desire for the site to be preserved.

Yu told reporters on Monday he would donate the property to Hong Kong's government for use as a museum, unveiling a plan to expand the site into a memorial to a global icon. He would also raise capital for the site and all future profits would go to charity.

The tycoon wished to retain the house as it was, while expanding the property to 30,000 square feet to include a library, a martial arts centre and a movie house to showcase Lee's martial arts philosophy, according to Yu's appointed property consultant.

"If you just do it small scale, you cannot attract tourism and attract people," said Michael Choi, the consultant.

Lee, who died under mysterious circumstances in 1973 aged 32, starred in such kung fu classics as "Fist of Fury", "Game of Death" and "Enter the Dragon".

Revered both by martial arts adherents and movie buffs the world over for popularising the kung fu cinematic genre, Lee also helped usher in a golden age of Hong Kong film in the 1960s.

His fans were delighted by the news, having lobbied the Hong Kong government for years for a museum on hopes the site could prove as big a draw as memorial sites to other stars such as the Beatles Story in Liverpool and Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion in Tennessee.

Hong Kong newspapers had reported Yu had received an offer of as much as HK$105 million (6.8 million pounds) for the house, which he turned down

"The greatest difficulty has been overcome now that Mr. Yu has donated such a generous gift to the people of Hong Kong," said Wong Yiu-keung, the Chairman of Hong Kong's Bruce Lee Club.

"From a tourism point of view, if you have this Bruce Lee museum it will attract a lot of visitors to Hong Kong."

But Yu's plan will require government cooperation. He intends to send a proposal to Hong Kong's Commerce and Economic Development Bureau next week, seeking permission to re-classify the site from residential to commercial usage.

Yu will go ahead and sell the house if the government objected to his plan, his consultants said.

"Bruce Lee has brought so much glory to Hong Kong, so I can't see any reason for the government opposing this," Wong said.

In response, the Hong Kong tourism board said it "welcomes all initiatives that support the promotion of Hong Kong as a tourist destination."

[GeneChing]

Follow the link for a nice pic of an HK Bruce Lee statue.


Kung Fu Travel: Intercepting Fist Saves Bruce Lee's Home (http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/7/12422/77860/travel/Kung+Fu+Travel:+Intercepting+Fist+Saves+Bruce+Lee' s+Home)
Where: Kowloon, Hong Kong
7/07/2008 at 2:00 PM

Here's a kick-ass museum plan: A real estate tycoon is bowing to pressure from Bruce Lee fans and seeks to turn the martial arts star's last home into a memorial instead of selling it.

If Yu Panglin's rezoning proposal is approved, the two-story townhouse in Kowloon could become a 30,000-square-foot museum, including training centers and, of course, a movie theater to show Lee's greatest hits like "Fist of Fury" and "Enter the Dragon." Yu reportedly fielded offers of as much as $13 million for the house, but says he will help raise the capital to build and run the museum before donating it to the city.

Don't want to wait? The American-based Bruce Lee Foundation, which has been raising money for a permanent Lee museum, is sponsoring a Bruce Lee Festival in Seattle July 18-20 with the Seattle Art Museum, including a memorial service at his nearby tomb.

[GeneChing]

"Lee the grandfather of mixed martial arts."


SAM event one of many tributes to Bruce Lee (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2008053422_brucelee16.html)
By Tan Vinh
Seattle Times staff reporter

A THREE-DAY BRUCE LEE TRIBUTE will be Friday-Sunday at the Seattle

Art Museum to commemorate the 35th anniversaries of his death and his groundbreaking movie, "Enter the Dragon."

A screening of the film along with memorabilia and props also will be on display. Lee's wife, Linda Lee Caldwell; his daughter Shannon Lee; and Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), are scheduled to attend. The family also will unveil its proposal to build a $50 million Bruce Lee museum in Seattle.

The event is sponsored by the Bruce Lee Foundation and the UFC.

Because, apparently, the world's appetite for all things Bruce Lee knows no limits, there will be Bruce Lee, the musical, coming to Broadway.

But not before a 50-part Lee documentary airs in China after the Summer Olympics. Or the Lee documentary the History Channel has scheduled for next year. Or a Lee cartoon in development.

Dozens of other Lee projects are in the works, including a proposal to raise $50 million to build a museum in Seattle, where Lee lived from 1959-64.

The Lee family will release details of its ambitious fundraising campaign this weekend, during a three-day tribute starting Friday at the Seattle Art Museum to commemorate his passing 35 years ago this week.

The event also marks the 35th anniversary of his groundbreaking movie, "Enter the Dragon."

Lee died a few weeks before the film was released, but you would think his passing was recent by the surge of interest lately.

Last year, more than 1,000 University of Washington students backed a petition to build a Lee memorial on campus.

These days, young mixed-martial-arts fans often hear fighters cite Lee as an idol or a role model. And the resurgence of old kung-fu flicks also has fed the Lee frenzy.

Lee's appeal (Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century) always has been complex, even contradictory.

Lee became famous by killing people on screen, yet he was honored with the Ethnic Multicultural Academy Legend Award in London in 2004, the same humanitarian media award given to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. In 2005, Bosnia erected a life-size Lee statue as a peace symbol in light of ethnic tensions.

"Bruce was so much more than just a bad-ass ... that's why people go back to his story again and again," said Seattle's Charles R. Cross, a biographer of Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix who is researching Lee for a possible book.

Lee was born in San Francisco and grew up in Hong Kong, but Seattle has always claimed him as one of its own. He attended Edison Technical School on Capitol Hill and then the University of Washington, where he studied philosophy for three years and married Linda Emery (Garfield grad '63).

Lee, who ran a martial-arts studio in the University District, landed the role of Kato on TV's "The Green Hornet" in 1966, which helped propel him to movie stardom.

On screen, he was charismatic. His kung-fu moves seemed less structured, less rigid than traditional martial arts. It looked like modern dance. He bounced around like a boxer and made screeching noises with his punches. The young crowd ate it up.

But before his Hollywood career took off, he died July 20, 1973, from cerebral edema from an allergic reaction, perhaps to painkillers. He was 32.

"He died looking great," said Cross. "He never got old or fat like Elvis. That is part of the reason for his enduring legacy. Bruce Lee with his shirt off ... 90 percent of people in the world know what that image looks like."

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White, who will be in Seattle for the tribute, calls Lee the grandfather of mixed martial arts.

But his influence runs deeper, said Cross and UW assistant professor Chris Hamm, who teaches a martial-arts film course in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature.

Lee overcame illness in his youth and racism throughout his life. He often was credited with introducing the mainstream to martial arts. And he had a cultlike following for his philosophy on life and affirmations.

The themes that resonated with the first generation of Lee fans still ring true among today's young followers, said his daughter, Shannon Lee, who runs the Bruce Lee Foundation and Bruce Lee Enterprises in Los Angeles.

Sure, he looked great fighting, but fans connected to him because "he played the underdog and was seen like that in his life," she said.

"It's not just his martial-art skills but the strides he made for us socially as a person of color," said former UW student Jamil Suleman, 24, of Redmond, who is lobbying the university to build a Lee memorial garden.

Perry Lee, no relation to the superstar, recalls growing up in Seattle in the 1960s and not seeing any Asian faces like his on television — other than Hop Sing, the Cartwrights' cook on "Bonanza." So when Bruce Lee came along, thousands of Asian Americans in the Northwest became fans, said Lee, 60, of Renton who has collected thousands of items of the late superstar's memorabilia.

Lee mania has created a new flood of projects, including the musical "Bruce Lee: Journey to the West," scheduled for 2010 with David Henry Hwang writing the book, Seattle's Bartlett Sher directing and David Yazbek ("Dirty Rotten Scoundrels") writing the lyrics.

This weekend at the tribute, Lee's daughter and his wife, Linda Lee Caldwell, will unveil sketches for the Lee museum, which will include his writings, props and his signature weapon, the nunchaku.

The family has not found a location or detailed how the $50 million will be raised, but Lee's wife said the proposed museum will be in Seattle for the same reason her husband was buried here, at Lake View Cemetery (their son, Brandon, is buried alongside). Lee "mentioned that some day, he would like to return to Seattle. It would be his ideal place to live," she said.

[GeneChing]

This is coattailing on the Olympics too. Click the links for pix.

Bruce Lee Remembered 35 Years on (http://english.cri.cn/3086/2008/07/20/1261s383241.htm)
2008-07-20 18:45:33

From cinemas to museums, Chinese fans are marking the 35th anniversary of Bruce Lee's death in various ways.

A weeklong screening of Lee's best-known films kicked off at the Kingdom Garden Movie Station in Beijing on Sunday, the Beijing News reported.

Films to be screened include "Way of the Dragon," "The Chinese Connection," and Lee's last work, "Game of Death."

In Hong Kong, where Lee was raised, an exhibit opened Friday featuring 800 items about the action legend, including movie posters, magazine covers and books, the Associated Press reported. Headlining the opening ceremony was Danny Chan, who plays Lee in the new TV series "Legend of Bruce Lee," produced by China Central Television.

Many Chinese Web sites, including the portal Sina.com.cn, have launched online specials paying homage to the star.

Bruce Lee died on July 20, 1973, at the age of 32. The exact details of his death are still controversial.


Exhibit marks Bruce Lee's death (http://english.sina.com/ent/p/1/2008/0718/172235.html)
2008-07-18 14:51:58 GMT 2008-07-18 22:51:58 (Beijing Time)

HONG KONG - Bruce Lee fans are marking the 35th anniversary of his death with an exhibit featuring movie posters, magazine covers and books about the action star.

Also among the 800 items on display are letters written by Lee that detail his life in the U.S., where he attended college and taught kung fu before returning to Hong Kong.

Danny Chan, who plays Lee in an upcoming Chinese TV series, attended the opening ceremony of the exhibit Friday, organized by the Hong Kong-based Bruce Lee Club.

Chan said he hopes the exhibit will improve public understanding of Lee.

"A lot of people like Bruce Lee but know very little about him," he said.

Lee died July 20, 1973, at 32 from swelling of the brain.

He was known for movies in which he portrayed characters who defended the Chinese and the working class from oppressors. His credits include "The Chinese Connection," "Return of the Dragon" and "Enter the Dragon."

Talks are also ongoing about turning Lee's former home in Hong Kong into a museum. The philanthropist who owns the two-story house has offered to donate the property and has lobbied the government to help convert it into a museum.

[GeneChing]

Anyone here on the forum see this?

Bruce: Undefeated 35 Years Later (http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=631b4a8f72597bd52c68f 9161c9acbcd)
International Examiner, News feature, Diem Ly, Posted: Jul 27, 2008

He was convinced of his place in the world, yet broke down barriers and forced his way into history. He was arrogant but tirelessly improved on his skills. Bruce Lee may have been a complex figure, but his massive iconic status has not dimmed nor has it wavered in its significance to Asian Americans today. For some, Bruce Lee is a deeply important character to learn from. For others, he’s the hero they most identified with and one of the coolest Asian Americans ever. No matter what your reverence of him, Bruce Lee is etched in history and lives on as a measure of what each of us are capable of achieving.

Few believe in Bruce Lee’s legendary status more than a Seattle man who shares the martial artist’s surname: Perry Lee (no relation to Bruce Lee). Perry boasts one of the largest collections of Bruce Lee memorabilia in the world. And soon, he’ll share it in an unprecedented Seattle event. The Bruce Lee Foundation, founded by Bruce Lee’s widow, Linda Lee and his daughter Shannon Lee, is sponsoring an event commemorating the 35th anniversary of Bruce Lee’s landmark film “Enter the Dragon (1973)” and honor his passing the same year. The Foundation along with Perry, are working together to organize the July 18-20 event. Organizers are planning Bruce Lee film screenings, exhibitions, and martial arts demonstrations by Lee’s former students. Perry says the Foundation will announce the launch and location of an official Bruce Lee Museum, expected to be in Seattle. The Foundation is also collaborating on an international scale with China, which idolizes the martial artist, to build the first Bruce Lee amusement park in China and preserve the icon’s final home in Hong Kong into a museum and memorial to the star.

The event’s aim is to preserve Lee’s legacy and inspire others through his short, but remarkable life.
“Bruce Lee was one of those rare individuals,” says Perry Lee in an interview with the IE. “A combination of intellect, foresight, incredible physical attributes, and artist ability. People like that come every 10,000 years. He was a real innovator.”

Many know the Bruce Lee saga. For those who don’t, and there aren’t many of you, here’s your Bruce Lee 101.
Bruce Lee was born Jun Fan on Nov. 27, 1940, in San Francisco, CA. The man history would later call “The Dragon”, was born in the year and hour of the dragon, an auspicious sign for the baby boy. A few months later the family returned to Hong Kong.

The soon-to-be martial art star began kung fu lessons at age 13. It’s widely known Bruce Lee spent his teen years in a gang, fighting Hong Kong street thugs. By the age of 18, his parents decided to send the troublemaker to America to stay with a Seattle family friend, Ruby Chow. Chow would later become a well-known and controversial Asian American figure. In the meantime, she owned a restaurant in Seattle’s Chinatown and hired Bruce as a busboy. He stayed in a small living space above the restaurant and started his new life with $100 in his pocket.

Bruce practiced his philosophy of martial art style anywhere he could clear a space. He practiced at HoHo Restaurant, in the basement of the Four Seas Restaurant, and opened a king fu studio on University Way in the UW district. At the studio, Lee taught anyone willing to learn, even non-Asians—a sour point for many community members at the time.
Lee later married one of his students, Linda Emery, and moved to Oakland, California, where a larger martial arts community thrived. He opened another studio and founded his marital art form Jeet June Do. It was in California Lee sought to make his dreams come true and become the first Asian superstar. He’d solidify his goal in a 1969 affirmation statement promising himself he will be the “first highest paid Oriental super star in the United States,” Lee wrote. “I will achieve world fame … I will live the way I please and achieve inner harmony and happiness.”

But before stardom, someone would have to discover him.

In a 1964 demonstration in Long Beach, California, Lee captured the attention of a Hollywood insider who raved about Lee’s performance to television producer William Dozier who was seeking an Asian actor for a new series, “Number One Son.” Executives dropped the series, but casting directors approached Lee to fill the role of the sidekick “Kato” for a new television series, “The Green Hornet”. Kato stole the show and Lee was a hit. American audiences were blown away by the never-before seen fighting style. Viewers in Hong Kong loved the show and Lee began his rise on two continents. But, Bruce Lee wanted a say in his work and suggested ideas for new shows to studio executives. One idea revolved around a Shaolin priest who resolved issues without a gun. Executives liked the concept, but eventually gave the leading role to Caucasian actor David Carradine.

Outraged but focused, Lee pushed on. The success of “The Green Hornet” opened the door to his now legendary film roles in “Fists of Fury (1971)”, “The Chinese Connection (1972)”, “Return of the Dragon (1972)”, “Enter the Dragon (1973)”, and a film released post-mortem, “Game of Death (1978)”.

Bruce Lee fulfilled the destiny he prophesized years earlier and entered into the realm of superstardom. He died on July 20, 1973 under circumstances still under controversy.
When asked what set Bruce Lee apart from other successful Asian Americans throughout history, Perry says Lee’s “X-factor” was his image and drive. He says, with all due respect, 1960s Seattle politician Wing Luke (and namesake for the Seattle Asian museum) never look so cool changing the face of the Asian American identity.

“Bruce knew how to style. He was that image of cool when no one knew Asians could be,” says Perry. “Our image of Asians at the time was Hop Sing (the Chinese cook on the television show “Bonanza”). Bruce hated that. He said he didn’t want to wear a pigtail.”

Lee’s other undeniable and unquenchable trait was his drive.
“He was fanatical about being the best,” says Perry. “[Others] might have the skills, but not the hunger … He was driven by an incredible intensity to succeed.”

Even as a teen on the streets of Seattle’s Chinatown/ID, Bruce Lee knew he was a leader, an innovator, and a pioneer. But, often, that confidence grated on some people’s nerves who preferred humility and deference of character.

“He didn’t have a lot of money, but he was arrogant,” describes Perry. “He was 18 or 19 when he was telling the older people they were doing things wrong [in martial arts]. You just didn’t do that, you know.”

Lee was known as a practical joker, a flirt, a flashy dresser, and a Cha Cha dancing champion. But the martial artist never wavered in his intense desire for greatness.

“He had an incredible ability to focus,” says Perry. “He never wasted a minute. While he was talking to you, he’d be stretching his legs against a wall and curling his arms with a barbell.” Perry said in one instance, on a flight with James Coburn, a film industry colleague and fellow marital arts trainer, Lee whipped out a small bean bag and proceeded to chop it repeatedly—even while talking to Coburn.

Perry says Lee wrote down goals and kept meticulous records of his training. Even while recovering from an injury that partially paralyzed his back and doctors said he may never practice martial arts again, Lee still worked out, recorded his reps, and made more goals.

As both an American-born Chinese and one who grew up in Hong Kong, Bruce Lee was in a unique position for success in the film industry.

“Bruce Lee was able to bridge the East and Western culture,” says Perry. “He understood what [American] people wanted.”
Few people know the uniquely Asian icon carried Caucasian blood.
Through his grandmother’s marriage to a German man, Bruce is a quarter Caucasian.

continued next post

[GeneChing]

continued from previous

But, it was not only his connection or savvy of American audiences that earned Bruce Lee success. It’s said, behind every great man, is a great …

“Linda was a part of that success,” says Perry. “She was Caucasian, but she had some Asian characteristics. She stood by him. A Chinese wife wouldn’t have put up with him. They would’ve expected him to go out and get a real job and quit this crazy business to become a movie star.”

Out of what seems like a fearless existence, did Bruce Lee fear anything? Yes, himself, Perry says. He remembers Lee’s fear of facing an opponent like himself—but better.

“Bruce was always worried that a bigger or faster version of himself would fight him. You know, he. wasn’t that tall or big.” In another conversation with Perry, he says, Bruce knew he wasn’t Superman. Bruce Lee used to say that if he was walking down a dark alley and someone jumped him, ‘You’d get to me.’ The difference with Bruce Lee—what he did worked. He backed up his words with action and success. And if success didn’t come as he expected, he’d work harder and force it to come to him.

But, why would a character so inspiring and resilient, not elicit others to emerge as great or greater today in terms of martial arts or Asian American superstardom?

“The conditions were ripe for Bruce,” says Perry. “For there to be another Bruce Lee, you have to be hungry. He had an intense drive to succeed. Nowadays, people are packing [carrying guns]. Back then, you fought as gentlemen with your fists.”

Perry believes there’s a decline in Bruce Lee’s popularity among youth today. He suggests this is due to many factors. More Asian role models exist today than they did in the 60s and 70s, Perry explains. Also, mounting materialism among API youth focus attention on material success rather than inspiration. And, he says, the honor to learn the art of fighting has diminished as people take up guns and fight from a distance. He says the appreciation for what Bruce Lee achieved as a martial artist and Asian American has lost some of its poignancy.

“If you like baseball—you got Ichiro,” says Perry. “If you like basketball—you got Yao Ming. Nowadays, it’s not to be like Bruce, but to be financially secure.” But what Perry fears most is losing Bruce Lee’s legacy, his message, and his teachings.

“He was more than a martial artist. He was an innovator. So now people are forgetting what he had to do to blaze a trail,” says Perry.

The founder of Jeet Kune Do, the actor of films breaking the racial barrier, and the personality that drove the man to greatness, was first and foremost a man. And that may be why we find him so fascinating. We see ourselves in his drive to make something out of nothing and in a remarkable character—what we’re capable of achieving. Bruce Lee would have been 68 years old this year.

“To hell with circumstances—I make opportunities.” –The Dragon.

The Bruce Lee Foundation 35th Anniversary Celebration at the Seattle Museum of Art is from July 18-20, 2008. The event includes an exclusive Friday preview night, a tour of the Bruce Lee exhibit with Linda and Shannon Lee, martial arts seminars and demonstrations, and discussion with JKD instructors. A public screening for “Enter the Dragon” will be Saturday night for $10/per person. On Sunday, a cemetery memorial will be held ($20) while organizers will serve a celebration luncheon at the New Hong Kong Restaurant ($50). An inclusive package for all events is $285.00 To register for the event, please contact the Bruce Lee Foundation at info@bruceleefoundation.org.

[GeneChing]

Click the link to see Bruce and Marilyn in all their anatidae glory.

Marilyn Monroe and Bruce Lee Rubber Ducks - Lightening Up a Tough Economy One Duck at a Time

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- CelebriDucks, the original creator of the first-ever celebrity rubber ducks of the greatest icons of film, music, athletics and history, is doing their part to bring a little happiness to a tough economy. Thus they are releasing their new Marilyn Monroe and Bruce Lee limited edition rubber ducks just in time for the holidays. Wearing a pink dress with white gloves, the new Marilyn duck embodies the epitome of elegance in the tub. After all, in any economy, diamonds are still a duck's best friend. Bruce Lee, complete with weaponry, is guaranteed to protect one's tub from any financial turbulence with his classic pose from "Enter the Dragon." CelebriDucks president Craig Wolfe remarked, "In hard times, we need some real heavy-hitters in our bath to lighten things up. To have two such classic icons added to our line really gives people some very cool gifts that anyone can afford."

http://www.ereleases.com/pr/2008-CelebriDucks.gif

The company is best known for their line of celebrity ducks including The Wizard of Oz, Elvis Presley, Bill Clinton, Larry the Cable Guy, and KISS, among hundreds of others. The company created a Tropical Parrot, complete with Hawaiian shirt and shades, for The Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville Cafes, and successfully sells their Blues Brothers ducks at all House of Blues venues nationwide. They also recently broke new ground by creating the world's first-ever floating Pink Flamingo, which debuted at The Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.

CelebriDucks has produced ducks for the NBA, Major League Baseball, the NHL, Collegiate Mascots, and NASCAR. The company has pioneered a whole new collectible and to date their ducks have appeared on numerous TV shows, including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, CBS Evening Magazine, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. CelebriDucks were voted one of the top 100 gifts by Entertainment Weekly.

Their work can be viewed at http://www.celebriducks.com/
High-resolution photos available upon request

Contact:
Craig Wolfe
415-456-3452
info@celebriducks.com
http://www.celebriducks.com/

[GeneChing]

Anyone going to be in Guangdong soon, give me a holla. We'd love a report. ;)


Largest Bruce Lee Museum Opens in S. China (http://english.cri.cn/3086/2008/11/11/1261s422992.htm)
2008-11-11 15:12:48

Visitors crowd the new Bruce Lee museum that opened in Shunde, Guangdong Province on November 9, 2008.

The ancestral hometown of Bruce Lee in southern China has finished building the world's largest memorial museum for the action legend, China News Service reported Tuesday.

The museum, located in Shunde, Guangdong Province, was inaugurated Sunday by Bruce's sister Phoebe Lee, who traveled from San Francisco for the occasion.

More than 1,000 items related to or used by Bruce Lee are on display, including costumes and photographs. Some letters and poems written by the martial artist are being exhibited for the first time, the report says.

The compound also includes a sculpture park that will feature the world's tallest Bruce Lee statue when the 18.8-meter-tall artwork is finished early next year.

Future meet-ups for Bruce Lee's fans are being planned, with which the museum's director Huang Dechao hopes to create a communication forum for worldwide fans.

There has been a resurgent interest in China over Bruce Lee, who passed away three decades ago, thanks to a new 50-episode drama series "The Legend of Bruce Lee," produced by China Central Television (CCTV). The drama, although controversial for some bloopers found in its scenes, has become the most-watched CCTV drama in history following its initial airing in October.

[enoajnin]

This is the story we've all been waiting for. Bruce Lee's former home in Hong Kong has been donated to the city after years as a low rent hotel. The plan is to turn it into a museum. Who knew you could by Bruce Lee's home in HK and why didn't any of us do it?



HONG KONG (Reuters) – A philanthropic bid by a Hong Kong tycoon to preserve the one-time residence of kung fu legend Bruce Lee and transform it into a major tourist attraction honoring the film icon was approved on Tuesday.

The green light comes after a long-running struggle by fans to save the 5,700 square-foot, two-storey town house from an inglorious fate as a seedy love motel in a leafy Kowloon suburb.

The fate of Lee's last home had hung in the balance for years, until its owner, real estate and hotel tycoon Yu Pang-lin, made a surprise decision last year to donate it to the city where the martial arts master first shot to fame.

"Both sides have now reached a consensus to go ahead and essentially proceed with this good plan," Yu told reporters after a meeting with government officials.

"I'm 88 years old now and hope that while I'm still alive I'll be able to see this Bruce Lee museum completed," he added.

Hong Kong's Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said it agreed to preserve the "original outlook of the building and its features" with an aim to revitalize it for long-term sustainable operation as a tourism attraction.

[GeneChing]

This story even made the NYT:

Enter the Museum: Bruce Lees Home Saved (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/arts/07arts-BRUCELEESHOM_BRF.html?_r=1&ref=arts)
Compiled by DAVE ITZKOFF
Published: January 6, 2009

More than 35 years after the death of the martial-arts legend Bruce Lee, below, fans will once again be able to get their kicks from him following the approval of a plan to turn his Hong Kong home, above, into a tourist attraction, Reuters reported. In July Yu Panglin, a real estate tycoon and philanthropist, reversed his decision to sell Lee’s 5,600-square-foot town house in the Kowloon area of Hong Kong and instead donated it to that region’s government for use as a museum. On Tuesday, Hong Kong’s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said it had agreed to preserve the “original outlook of the building and its features,” according to Reuters. Parts of the home, including Lee’s study and training hall, will be restored; Mr. Yu has said he wants to add a movie theater, a library and a martial-arts center.

[GeneChing]

I'm now getting confused on how many Bruce Lee homes are being restored...

HK plans to restore late martial arts star Bruce Lee's building (http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=905770&lang=eng_news)
Owner and authorities decide to hold an open competition to renovate the property
Associated Press

The Hong Kong government will hold a design competition to restore a former home of late martial arts legend Bruce Lee that has fallen into disrepute.

The two-story house where Lee lived in 1972-73 is currently used as a "love motel," where rooms are rented by the hour and people often carry on affairs. The owner has lobbied to convert it into a museum.

The decision to hold an open competition came late Friday after a meeting between the owner and Hong Kong's commerce and economic development secretary. Both agreed that the best design would be used as the blueprint for restoring the property, the government said.

"The competition would allow the incorporation of suitable design elements to maximize the use of space when restoring the property to its original appearance," a government spokesman said in a statement that did not elaborate on the timeframe or what the winner would get.

Lee, who died in Hong Kong in 1973 at age 32 from swelling of the brain, was born in San Francisco but grew up in Hong Kong.

His credits include "The Chinese Connection," "Enter the Dragon" and "Return of the Dragon."

[GeneChing]

those pesky secret gongfu sects...

Thu, Jul 09, 2009 The New Paper
Plans for Bruce Lee Museum get off the ground, finally (http://travel.asiaone.com/Travel/News/Story/A1Story20090708-153559.html)
By Gan Ling Kai

ICONIC movie star Bruce Lee's home in Hong Kong will become a historical site.

The two-storey mansion on Cumberland Road, which was converted into a love motel some time after the actor's death, was nearly sold last year to raise funds until one man and his team stepped in.

That man is Hong Kong Bruce Lee Club president and chairman Wong Yiu Keung, 40, who runs a publishing company.

He told The New Paper in a recent phone interview that the 460-sq-m property in Kowloon Tong was once a rendezvous point for lovers, something which raised the hackles of the late star's fans.

Now the house he lived in till his death in July 1973 has been tentatively named the Bruce Lee Museum.

Last year, businessman Yu Panglin, the owner of the property, wanted to sell it to raise funds for charity after the Sichuan earthquake.

The government at that time had no interest in the building as it was deemed to have no architectural value. The mansion has had major alterations done over the years - a front verandah, for example, had been completely removed.

But Mr Wong feels architectural value should not be the only criterion for conserving a building. 'The value lies in where Bruce Lee really spent time and that's a cultural heritage,' he said.

'To prevent the house from being sold, we started an online petition and garnered more than 10,000 signatures to preserve this historical site.

'Finally (in January this year), with us as the middleman, Mr Yu and the government began negotiating to turn the place into a museum.'

Mr Yu had bought the house for just HK$850,000 ($160,000) in the 1960s and it is now worth around HK$100 million.

Complex

Plans are being made to expand the property to turn it into a museum complex with a cinema, library and martial arts centre.

This is good news for fans all over the world, including former local TV action star Vincent Ng, 34.

When contacted by The New Paper yesterday, the martial art instructor, who bagged three SEA Games wushu gold medals in 1993 and 1997, said: 'Bruce Lee is a wushu legend who propagated the Chinese martial art across the world. How did his home end up becoming a love motel in the first place?'

Bruce, the high-kicking hero of films such as Big Boss and Fist Of Fury, is the first Asian actor to gain fame in the West. Current gongfu movie megastar Jackie Chan started his showbiz career as Bruce's stuntman.

The US-born star's death at age 32 was the subject of much speculation. It is believed that reactions to medication led to his death.

Last month, his name cropped up when action star David Carradine, 72, was found dead in a Bangkok hotel room. Entertainment news site Hollyscoop reported that his family believed a gongfu sect murdered him.

US actor Frank Krueger, a martial arts practitioner, told Hollyscoop: 'One of the widely held theories about Bruce Lee's death was that he was killed by one of these groups for teaching martial arts secrets.'

Additional reporting by Kwok Kar Peng

[GeneChing]

Dang, I must have missed like 40 of them...:rolleyes:

Hong Kong to open Bruce Lee museum (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006271.html?categoryid=13&cs=1)
J.A. Media plans trilogy on kung fu master's life
By CLIFFORD COONAN

HONG KONG — Hong Kong is gearing up to honor a debt it owes to its most famous native son, Bruce Lee, who died 36 years ago this week, with the construction of a museum in his former house, that is currently serving as a love hotel that rents by the hour.

Lee is synonymous with Hong Kong, and his success was crucial in kick-starting the success of the Hong Kong biz, but for years his contribution has been unmarked by an official museum in his home town, except for a statue on the waterfront. Lee's fans demonstrated last year in front of the statue on the harborfront, accusing the government of not paying proper homage to him.

Now officials in the territory hope to redress this oversight with the launch of a design competition to build a Hong Kong museum for the kung fu master.

"I hope I can personally witness and oversee the completion of the Bruce Lee museum in my lifetime," owner Yu Pang-lin, who is in his 80s, said at a press conference marking the anniversary of Lee's death. The museum is expected to include a kung fu studio, a film archive and a library.

Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee, and a panel of architects and town planners will judge the design competition, and the winners will be announced in November or December.

Other efforts to remember the martial arts king include a new trilogy about his life, called "Bruce Lee." Pic will start shooting in October this year and will be a joint production between his family and the J.A. Media group, local media reported.

Producer Li Chen and director Manfred Wong said the first part of the three-parter would focus on his early life, and so far the only casting decision that had been made was that Tony Leung Ka-fai would play Lee's father.

Initial investment in the movie will be 50 million yuan ($7.3 million) and the pic is scheduled for release on Nov. 27, 2010, the 70th anniversary of Bruce Lee's birth.

Lee was born in November 1940 in San Francisco and raised in Hong Kong, before his father sent him back to the States after a brawl as a youngster. As well as his martial prowess, he was also a ballroom dancing champion.

He is buried in Seattle's Lake View Cemetery next to his son, actor Brandon Lee, after spending some time attending the University of Washington where he taught martial arts.

Lee made 46 kung fu movies, and his popularity around the world paved the way for stars like Jackie Chan and inspired filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino. But he could have been even bigger.

Lee was just 32 years old when he died of a swelling in the brain in 1973, while starring and directing the movie "Game of Death" in Hong Kong, less than a month after the release of "Enter the Dragon," the definitive Bruce Lee movie which turned him into an international star.

A museum would also draw a fair number of visitors from mainland China, where Bruce Lee is a national hero, as much for the way he embodied Chinese pride and nationalism in his movies.

Many in mainland China missed him the first time around in the early 1970s because movies like "Enter the Dragon" and "Fists of Fury" were banned by Chairman Mao Zedong's closed Communist government as spiritual pollution and rightist sentimentality. A popular skein last year did much to help complete the picture on the mainland.

The Hong Kong government has started collecting Lee's personal items and commissioned a documentary about the late actor and one about the construction of the museum, said secretary for commerce and economic development Rita Lau.

Officials showed an eight-minute trailer for the biography produced by veteran Hong Kong director Ng See-yuen. It included interviews with "Mission: Impossible II" director John Woo; Lee's frequent collaborator producer, Raymond Chow; Ip Chun, the eldest son of his kung fu teacher, Ip Man; and actress Betty Ting Pei — in whose home Lee died — as well as footage of Lee's body in an open casket at his funeral.


July 20, 2009, 1:18 pm
Design Competition for Bruce Lee Museum (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/20/design-competition-for-bruce-lee-museum/)
By rachel lee harris

Hong Kong officials announced on Monday a design competition to turn the martial arts king Bruce Lee’s home into a museum, The Associated Press reported. Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee, along with a panel of architects and town planners, are to serve as judges, with winners announced in November or December. According to a statement by Rita Lau, Hong Kong’s secretary for commerce and economic development, the government has also commissioned two films, a documentary of the building of the museum and a biography of Lee, who died in 1973. Yu Panglin, owner of the property, has offered $13,000 in prize money. In July Mr. Yu, a real estate tycoon and philanthropist, donated the 5,600-square-foot town house in the Kowloon area of Hong Kong to that region’s government for the purpose of turning it into a memorial for Lee.

[GeneChing]

Madame Tussaud's wax museum. Click for ET vid.

Bruce Lee Immortalized in Wax (http://www.etonline.com/news/2010/02/84032/)

The late Bruce Lee's wax figure was recently unveiled at Madame Tussauds Hollywood, and the martial arts icon's daughter was on hand for the festivities.

"It's really an honor to be here today to launch this figure," said Shannon Lee, who helped unveil her father's wax double. "I think it's really wonderful that they've included my father here in Madame Tussauds. … I feel really proud that he is getting that recognition."

The 'Enter the Dragon' star, who died at the age of 32 in 1973, received the honor in celebration of the Chinese New Year.

[GeneChing]

Some one from here must go to Shunde when they complete that statue, don't you think?

A slower legacy for Bruce Lee in Chinese ancestral town (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62O0S520100325)
James Pomfret
SHUNDE, China
Thu Mar 25, 2010 4:28am EDT

SHUNDE, China (Reuters) - In the sleepy town of Xiacun in southern China, elders doze and children play along "little dragon" alley, which winds its way to the ancestral home of kung fu star Bruce Lee.

The small, grey-brick courtyard house contains old photos of Lee on the walls, an altar, a musty bedroom and a wooden dummy used for martial arts training, but visitors are few and far between, and other efforts by the town's council to commemorate their most famous son are also off the tourist radar.

While Lee is renowned the world over as a martial arts legend with a slew of action flicks to his name, back in his father's Chinese hometown, where many share the Lee name, his legacy remains low-key, even in 2010, the 70th anniversary of his birth.

"We don't really think about it that much," said a young woman sitting on the threshold of a home next door.

Local officials, however, have been trying to change that.

Millions have been invested in a park filled with lakes and rare birds, and called Bruce Lee Paradise, that authorities in Shunde and nearby Foshan hope will become a major tourist draw.

"Lee's image and reputation are becoming more and more familiar now in Foshan," said Chen Xian, the administration manager of Bruce Lee Paradise. "The Bruce Lee brand is something we've been trying actively to promote ... he's someone the Chinese people should be proud of."

The motivation is part cultural, part commercial. But the park, nearly 90 minutes by car from Guangzhou along dusty highways, remains largely off the beaten tourist track.

During a recent visit, a 12-meter (39 ft 4.4 in) high bronze statue of Lee remained half-finished and under scaffolding. A museum filled with Lee's weapons, books, posters and other memorabilia was virtually deserted.

While Lee was been born and raised in San Francisco, later forging his movie career in Hong Kong, Lee's family originates from Shunde, one of several southern Chinese towns that were home to much of the Chinese diaspora that immigrated in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

While popular overseas, restrictions on Western cultural imports during China's Cultural Revolution meant Lee was unknown inside China during his cinematic heyday in the late 60s and 70s.

Chairman Mao Zedong, who launched the Cultural Revolution, is said to have been a fan, according to Chen of Bruce Lee paradise, who says Mao once requested a screen reel of Lee's hit film "Fist of Fury" for private viewing in Beijing.

CULTURAL ICON, MOVIE STAR

For some modern martial arts practitioners like Wang Hongxin, who is a master of nunchuka sticks, a martial arts weapon which Bruce Lee excelled at, the star continues to embody China's need to stand up to the West.

"There are now a lot of kung fu masters. But in those days, foreigners really bullied the Chinese. And Bruce Lee back then, used his fists to survive abroad," said Wang, who runs the Guangdong Bison Wushu Club in a factory in the Pearl River Delta.

Lee, who died in mysterious circumstances in 1973 aged 32, starred in kung fu classics such as "Fist of Fury," "Game of Death" and "Enter the Dragon.

Revered both by martial arts adherents and movie buffs the world over for popularizing the kung fu cinematic genre, Lee also helped usher in a golden age of Hong Kong film in the 1960s.

This year, the Hong Kong International Film Festival is planning a retrospective, while authorities in Hong Kong are planning to convert one of Lee's former residences, a motel, into a commemoration site and museum.

"He's a part of Hong Kong," says Sam Ho, a film critic who works at Hong Kong's public film archive. "He helped the world know about Hong Kong cinema, though his films represent a small part of Hong Kong cinema."

Several upcoming films will also touch upon the life of Bruce Lee, including "Ip Man 2," chronicling the life of his teacher, the grandmaster of the of the fluid "Wing Chun" martial arts style. Hong Kong arthouse director Wong Kar-wai also has a movie on Ip Man in the works.

"Bruce Lee is already a standard. He's like Confucius ... he's part of our culture that we will embrace," Donnie Yen, who plays Ip Man in the movie, told Reuters.

"He (Lee) never stopped progressing as a martial artist. He was in search of a higher level all the way till his death."

[GeneChing]

...when you got an iPhone app?


All Press Releases for May 24, 2010
New Game Brings Bruce Lee’s Martial Arts to Apple® iPad®, IPHONE® & IPOD TOUCH® (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/05/prweb4040384.htm)

The new Bruce Lee martial arts fighting game, Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior, available from Apple's App Store is the first and only game at the Store to bear his name, and features motion captures from those who studied Lee's style, bringing a level of detail and 3D graphics never before seen in the genre.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) May 24, 2010 -- Bruce Lee’s teachings and martial arts mastery are legendary. His spirit remains an inspiration to an untold number of people around the world. Now the powerful name of the icon comes to the iTunes®, App Store with Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior, developed for the iPad®, iPhone®, and iPod touch®. The game, which brings Bruce Lee’s history and legacy to life, is available worldwide for $4.99, and is the first and only fighting game in the iTunes®, App Store to bear his name.

The input from those who best know Bruce Lee’s teachings was invaluable during the development of Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior
The game is co-published and co-developed in partnership with Universal Partnerships & Licensing by two of the top mobile game companies in the industry, Indiagames and Digital Legends Entertainment. The Bruce Lee Estate contributed guidance and support through Bruce Lee Enterprises, the licensing company helmed by Bruce’s daughter, Shannon Lee.

A masterpiece of the 3D martial arts genre, the game uses motion-capture technology and features players fighting in historical locations around the world in an attempt to become the Master of Martial Arts. Customizable fighting styles make Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior highly user-friendly and the game also boasts the most realistic fighting game environment possible on these devices. Loosely based on the events of Bruce Lee's career, the game honors the martial arts legacy left by one of its greatest masters. Players follow Lee's journey as he trains with a Kung Fu master, then fights in tournaments and later faces his worst enemies.

There are many fighting games on the market, but Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior is the only one in the iTunes®, App Store with the Bruce Lee heritage, as well as the most authentic and realistic graphics and game play. Designed for casual players and hardcore gamers alike, it is easy to pick up and play, but more difficult to master. The game features motion capture from those who studied Lee's style, as well as facial animations, environmental animations and a custom soundtrack.

The primary motion capture subject for Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior was Joaquin Marcelo, a student of Ted Wong, a board member of the Bruce Lee Foundation. Wong was a private pupil of Bruce Lee himself, and teaches the martial arts style and philosophy he learned from the master.

“I was thrilled with how the game turned out,” said Shannon Lee. “It surpassed my highest expectations.”

“The input from those who best know Bruce Lee’s teachings was invaluable during the development of Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior,” said Vishal Gondal, CEO of Indiagames. “Their mastery of Lee’s style of martial arts style has helped us make the most authentic game possible.”

“Their mastery of Bruce Lee’s style and technique has enabled us to create the premier mobile game in the fighting genre," said Xavier Carrillo, CEO of Digital Legends. “Working on this international project from Barcelona, Mumbai and Los Angeles, has been tremendously gratifying, and we have taken full advantage of our previous experience on fighting games as well as our cutting-edge 3D technology."

“This game highlights Bruce Lee’s everlasting impact on our culture,” said Calvin Lim, Director of Mobile Sales, Universal Partnerships & Licensing. “Capturing the essence of his spirit for these digital platforms will beget new generations of Bruce Lee fans.”

Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior was designed specifically for the iPad®, iPod touch®, & iPhone®, but will also be available for play on other mobile phones.

For more information on Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior, go to the following URLs:
iPad: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bruce-lee-dragon-warrior-hd/id364676826?mt=8
iPhone: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bruce-lee-dragon-warrior/id372377860?mt=8

About Bruce Lee Enterprises
Bruce Lee Enterprises owns, controls and licenses intellectual property related to Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.brucelee.com.

About Indiagames
Indiagames Ltd. is India's largest games company and a pioneer in mobile and online games. The company has established relationships with more than 80 telecom operators across 67 countries around the world, including Vodafone, Verizon, T mobile, AT&T, Hutch, Airtel and many more. Indiagames also has relationships with all major game publishers and media companies in the world, including EA, Disney, THQ, Atari, Universal, Fox, Warner brothers, Sony, MTV, 2K and others. Indiagames has developed and published mobile games such as Bioshock, Garfield, Flavor Of love, Godzilla, Bruce Lee, The Office, Scorpion King, Cricket 20-20, Movin Maze, and others. The company also runs the only subscription-based games on demand service for PC games across all major broadband operators in India. For more information on Indiagames, please visit http://www.indiagames.com.

About DLE
Digital Legends Entertainment (DLE) is Barcelona’s international games development studio, distinguished worldwide by award-winning 3D iPhone and smartphone games powered by in-house cutting-edge technology across native platforms.

DLE origins in 2001 were on PC and console games, and since 2006 its exclusive focus is on mobile native platforms envisioning a convergence between mobile and handheld digital consumption and technologies. DLE has won nominations from 1up.com as “Best E3 Mobile Game” “Best Cell Game of the Year” for the fighting game “ONE” in 2005. Also has been winner of “Excellence in 3D” by International Mobile Gaming Awards (IMGA) in 2008 for “ONE” sequel and includes other honours like “Best Gameplay” nominee by IMGA in 2009 for the music game “Dance Fabulous” and winner of the “People’s Choice Award” by IMGA in 2009 and 2010. Its B2B customers include major game Publishers, market leading OEM’s like Nokia and Samsung and also technology suppliers. For more information on Digital Legends Entertainment, please visit http://www.digital-legends.com.

About Universal Partnerships & Licensing
UP&L oversees Universal's consumer product licensing, film and home entertainment promotions, and all corporate alliances for Universal's theatrical, home entertainment, theme parks and stage productions. This dedicated division is also responsible for monetizing the Studio's vast library of films and characters through licensing, branding and marketing opportunities. UP&L is part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.

[GeneChing]

Action disappoints Dragon's fans (http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=21&art_id=100828&sid=28981597&con_type=1&d_str=20100722&fc=4)
Mary Ma
Thursday, July 22, 2010

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the birth of kung fu superstar Bruce Lee.

As a fan of the Hong Kong legend, I'm sad and disappointed - like millions of his admirers - that there's still no sight of a museum in the city where he rose to fame.

We've been patient, but there's still only one statue of Hong Kong's most famous son in the Avenue of Stars.

About two years ago, following a long struggle to save Lee's former home, the green light was finally given for the property to become a museum.

Located at 41 Cumberland Road in Kowloon Tong, the 5,700-square-foot mansion was where Little Dragon spent the last years of his life, before his untimely death 37 years ago on Tuesday at age 32. The building had been converted into a love motel, with rooms rented by the hour, before billionaire Yu Pang-lin bought the property and later handed it over to the Hong Kong government to convert into a museum.

Although no time frame was set, I'd have thought once those plans were put in place, it would take shape quickly and, in no time, Mr Fist of Fury would finally have his own museum here.

But despite the generosity of philanthropist Yu's HK$100 million donation, and the government's efforts through a public contest to select a tailor-made design for the museum, the building remains off-limits to visitors. On any given day, it's become common to see scores of tourists snapping pictures just outside the locked premises.

So, why the delay? In this case, I can hardly blame red tape or government bureaucracy. The holdup is procedural wrangling, as the land donation has yet to be processed since Yu wanted to preserve the two-story structure.

Under a recommended plan, the museum would include an exhibition hall, video room, kung fu room, library and souvenir shop. The master plan calls for building a basement, designated to be Yu's charity fund office.

All this posed no problem until a suggestion was made that the basement should be three floors, which would have to be built underground since the two-story building must be preserved.

This poses more than a headache for the authorities, since buildings in Kowloon Tong usually only have one underground floor, mainly for parking and air-conditioning facilities.

So if one wants to build three underground floors, it requires approval from the Town Planning Board. Besides this, problems such as whether the construction will affect the structures of nearby buildings, the environment, and traffic must also be carefully addressed.

According to the plan that won the design contest, it was recommended to build one floor underground. So why insist on the "three-floor" concept?

In fact, the government also reckoned that using the basement as a private office posed a problem. For while it is for charitable purposes, the money would come from taxpayers - setting a bad precedent.

We can only hope both Yu and the government can cooperate despite the constraints, and use their imagination to make the museum possible.

Otherwise, Lee fans will be highly disappointed.
Wonder if it would be cheaper to buy the neighboring building and convert it instead of digging an underground level. Then again, real estate in HK is very expensive.

[GeneChing]

"China's Statue of Liberty" under way (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-08/18/c_13450224.htm)
English.news.cn 2010-08-18 10:14:15

BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Artists in Foshan, a city in Guangdong province that bills itself as the home of Chinese kungfu, are creating a 30-meter-tall sculpture of Bruce Lee which they hope will one day become a landmark on the scale of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.

The red-painted ceramic statue depicts an eight-legged Bruce Lee, known as Li Xiaolong in Chinese, balancing world famous monuments on each foot. These include The Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Shanghai's Oriental Pearl Tower, and the Bird's Nest, or National Olympic Stadium, in Beijing.

Over 100 smaller sculptures of China's most iconic martial arts fighter will form the centerpiece of Foshan Week, which opens to the public at the Expo on Tuesday afternoon.

Identical, except for the monuments they balance on their feet, the sculptures took 100 people six months to complete, due to the complexity and size of the ceramics.

The Enter the Dragon star was born in San Francisco of Hong Kong heritage but has ancestral links to Foshan. Recently, the series of Yip Man movies have celebrated his teacher Ye Wan, who was born to affluent parents in Foshan.

In reality, the city competes with several Chinese towns and provinces for kungfu bragging rights, notably the Shaolin Monastery in Henan province. But Foshan locals claim more responsibility for promoting the art internationally over the last century.

The towering sculpture, which looks like a stop-motion capture of Lee doing one of his explosive high kicks, will not be ready for another year, according to artist Shu Yong.

"We hope it can compete with the Statue of Liberty. But our sculpture, The Kungfu God of 1,000 Legs, is meant to symbolize Chinese wisdom, creativity and health," he said.

"We are taking it to the Guggenheim Museum (in Manhattan) next year as part of a grand world tour," he said.

While the neoclassical Statue of Liberty was an international gift of friendship from France, Shu and cohorts hope an epic 10-year world tour will suffice.

One of the criticisms of Expo 2010 Shanghai is that it has not celebrated the debut of any breakthrough monuments like the Statue of Liberty, parts of which appeared at two World Expos in the late 20th century. In their place, the Shanghai-hosted event offers dazzling pavilions, many designed by world-famous architects such as the UK's Thomas Heatherwick.

Qiu Dailun, director of the exhibition commemorating Foshan Week, said the Bruce Lee sculpture was designed to "help China communicate with the world on an artistic level".

"During China's recent development, much has been made of our shortcomings and problems, but our strengths and skills have been largely forgotten by the rest of the world," he said. "We hope, through cultural exchanges like these, to restore a sense of balance."

The sculpture also shows how it is "possible to use the least amount of resources during the act of construction for the benefit of all", he said. Foshan produces 25 percent of the world's construction ceramics, 60 percent of which is used in China, officials said.

The exhibition, located inside the Urban Best Practices Area in Puxi, also features a replica of one of the world's oldest ceramics kilns. It was built in Foshan in 1506.

As such, organizers said they plan to give away 100 prizes of 1,506 yuan ($220) to visitors who can best emulate Lee's martial arts prowess by assuming difficult poses over the course of the week.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-08/18/13450224_11n.jpg
The little dragon in bright CCCP red (and a clown shoe?)


China creating eight-legged Bruce Lee sculpture to compete with Statue of Liberty (http://news.oneindia.in/2010/08/18/chinacreating-eight-legged-bruce-lee-sculpture-to-competew.html)

Beijing, Aug 18 (ANI): Chinese artists in Foshan, a city in Guangdong province, are creating a red painted 30-meter-tall and eight-legged sculpture of legend Bruce Lee, which they hope would eventually be recognised as a landmark very much like the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbour.

According to China Daily, the ceramic statue depicts an eight-legged Bruce Lee, known as Li Xiaolong in Chinese, balancing world famous monuments on each foot. These include The Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Shanghai's Oriental Pearl Tower, and the Bird's Nest, or National Olympic Stadium, in Beijing.


"We hope it can compete with the Statue of Liberty. But our sculpture, The Kungfu God of 1,000 Legs, is meant to symbolize Chinese wisdom, creativity and health," an artist Shu Yong, said.

It took 100 people six months to complete the sculpture, because of its complexity and size of the ceramics.

Lee, the Enter the Dragon star, was born in San Francisco but has ancestral links to Foshan.

The towering sculpture, which looks like a stop-motion capture of Lee doing one of his explosive high kicks, is expected to be ready by next year.

"We are taking it to the Guggenheim Museum (in Manhattan) next year as part of a grand world tour," Yong added. (ANI)

[GeneChing]

I'd love to visit this someday....

Giant Bruce Lee statue welcomes kungfu fans (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-10/27/c_13577608.htm)
English.news.cn 2010-10-27 10:17:28

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-10/27/13577608_11n.jpg
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]

He reminded me about the event below. GM Al Novak was on our 2010 January/February cover (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=862) - see Great American Great Grandmaster (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=871). 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 (http://www.bruceleefoundation.com/index.cfm/cdid/10741/pid/10235)
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, 3:36 A.M. ET
Bruce Lee, My Father (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704679204575647881902181338.html?m od=googlenews_wsj)
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]

Bruce Harrell is a Seattle City Councilmember.

Bruce Lee Action Museum May Call Seattle Home (http://www.bruceharrell.org/2011/05/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]

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 (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/28/DD5J1K2UDN.DTL)
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]

Bruce Lee memorabilia set for Hong Kong auction (http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/08/02/bruce.lee.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]

"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]

Bruce Lee gallery to be set up in Hong Kong (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/1158867/1/.html)
Posted: 12 October 2011 1559 hrs

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/imagegallery/store/php6Jii5I.jpg
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? :confused:

[GeneChing]

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 (http://www.myfoxspokane.com/news/kcpq-bruce-lee-action-museum-gets-a-kick-start-20111019,0,5296892.story)
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]

Bruce Lee museum in Seattle gets consideration (http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2011/11/01/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 (http://clerk.seattle.gov/public/budgetdocs/2012/21-1-A-1-2012-Desc.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]

39th Anniversary of Bruce Lee’s Death Observed (http://rafu.com/news/2012/08/39th-anniversary-of-bruce-lees-death-observed/)
Wed, Aug 1 2012

http://www.rafu.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/bruce-lee-resolution-550x458.jpg
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]

The Bruce Lee Action Museum?

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]

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

Kung fu legend Bruce Lee's home up for grabs: Report (http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/kung-fu-legend-bruce-lee-s-home-up-for-grabs-report-283831)
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]

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 (http://www.realtytoday.com/articles/3128/20121129/bruce-lee-s-former-hong-kong-mansion-for-sale-kung-fu-master.htm)

http://images.realtytoday.com/data/images/full/5517/bruce-lee-home.jpg?w=600
(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.

http://images.realtytoday.com/data/images/full/5518/rtx7l1u-jpg.jpg?w=600
(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 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMX-uJo2h3g)

[GeneChing]

...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 (http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020282422_bruceleegardenxml.html)

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 Washington’s campus commemorating minority contributions.

The self-described social activist has faced skepticism from the school’s administration. He’s changed the garden’s 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, Lee’s 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 doesn’t 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 Lee’s philosophical side as well. Lee preached unity and acceptance, teaching “under sky, under leaves, but one family.”

The garden’s 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 Suleman’s 2007 class, students originally wanted to honor Lee with a statue, but they decided Lee’s 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 Lee’s two children, said she is happy about the choice to create a garden, saying it reflects her father’s lifestyle and teachings.

“I’m passionate about the depth and meaning of my father’s 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 region’s original occupants. While Hansen didn’t see exactly how her tribe fit into a Bruce Lee memorial, she was happy to accept Suleman’s offer.

“It doesn’t fit together, but any time they remember the tribe we love it,” Hansen said.

Suleman’s 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 friend’s efforts.

“Jamil brings people together who normally wouldn’t be together,” Grunkemeier said. “That’s his persona. That’s the theme behind this project, and that was Bruce Lee’s 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 (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/2/prweb10376096.htm)
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 Lee’s 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]

Enter the long-awaited Bruce Lee show (http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1149603/enter-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 (http://q13fox.com/2013/02/12/bruce-lee-museum-moves-forward/#axzz2Kza4HQ8m)
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]

The second one is really funny to me.


Historic Dedication Made In Honor Of Bruce Lee During LA Chinatown's 75th Anniversary (http://news.yahoo.com/historic-dedication-made-honor-bruce-lee-during-la-180700464.html)
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 (http://www.washingtonbanglaradio.com/content/64753713-big-bellied-bruce-lee-poster-mumbai-restaurant-attracts-protests)
Mon, 06/03/2013 - 09:48
By Sanjay Sharma Raj

http://imageshack.us/a/img850/4985/sorryprotestpicsbychita.jpg

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.

http://imageshack.us/a/img195/4985/sorryprotestpicsbychita.jpg
“Mr Obaid from Facing East has verbally assured to remove the objectionable signage after the protest,” the protesters added.

[GeneChing]

Another Bruce statue

Bruce Lee Museum Exhibition to Launch in Hong Kong (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bruce-lee-museum-exhibition-launch-576405)
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 city’s 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 Museum’s “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 star’s 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 actor’s daughter and former actress Shannon Lee, in July.

The exhibition will begin on July 20, the 40thanniversary of Lee’s 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 Lee’s personal life.

In 1999, the city’s 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 Lee’s 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 actor’s 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 Lee’s 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.

Lee’s 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 (http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1269649/bruce-lee-show-could-grow-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]

More photos if you follow the link.

Bruce Lee exhibition hits Hong Kong (http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/03/travel/bruce-lee-hk-exhibition)
By Hiufu Wong, CNN
updated 2:49 AM EDT, Wed July 3, 2013

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130702182325-bruce-lee-hk-vertical-gallery.jpg
A five-year Bruce Lee exhibition will open in Hong Kong's Heritage Museum on July 20, 2013 to commemorate 40 years since his death. More than 600 items linked to Lee will feature, including photos like this one. Lee met his wife Linda Emery at the University of Washington in 1963 and the two were married the next year. They had two children, Brandon Lee and Shannon Lee.

(CNN) -- A kung fu legend, a cha cha champion, a record-breaking filmmaker and a poet.

Not one of the world's most random dinner party assemblies, but a single man who became an icon.

Bruce Lee was all of those things and a new exhibition in Hong Kong, where Lee spent his childhood and became a martial arts film star, is being launched to celebrate the man and commemorate the 40th anniversary of his death.

"Bruce Lee: Kung Fu. Art. Life" will open in the Hong Kong Heritage Museum on July 20, 2013, exactly 40 years after his death, and will run for five years.

He died on July 20, 1973, at 32 years of age, after suffering a reaction to pain medication, according to the Bruce Lee Foundation.

The exhibition gathers more than 600 items related to Lee from collectors and various institutions, including more than 400 from the Bruce Lee Foundation -- the largest number of artifacts the foundation has ever lent out.

Among the exhibits are his iconic yellow tracksuit, footage from Lee's eight classic films (including "The Big Boss," "Fist of Fury," "The Way of the Dragon," "Enter the Dragon" and "Game of Death"), the first American magazine cover featuring Lee and the notebook he kept featuring 108 different cha cha dance steps.

Lee won Hong Kong's Cha Cha Championship in 1958.

The exhibition will recreate scenes from Lee's movies, his gym and his study, and will also house a special collector series showcasing various items from around the world.

The first collection features more than 100 items from U.S. collector Perry Lee, related to the TV series "The Green Hornet," in which Lee starred as Kato.

Silver Cheung, a local film art director, will be the art director for the exhibition. The Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers has produced a 75-minute documentary, "The Brilliant Life of Bruce Lee," which will be screened in the museum.

Sculptor Chu Tat-shing has created a new 3.5-meter side-kicking statue of Lee and animation artist Shannon Ma will present a 3D hologram animation of Lee's nunchaku moves and kicks.

The exhibition will run alongside other Bruce Lee programs organized by the museum, the first of which has the theme: "The Bruce Lee that Hong Kong knew." Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee's daughter, will start the program with a gallery talk.

Reservations, online or at the door, are required. Online reservations are available from July 4 on the Hong Kong Heritage Museum's website.

Bruce Lee: Kung Fu. Art. Life, July 20, 2013-2018; Hong Kong Heritage Museum, 1 Man Lam Rd., Sha Tin, Hong Kong; +852 2180 8188; HK$10 ($1.3) including ticket to the documentary; free admission on Wednesday; open Monday to Sunday, 10 a.m.-6p.m. (weekdays) and 10 a.m.-7p.m. (weekend and public holidays)

[GeneChing]

The 40th anniversary and everyone is cashing in.

New book recalls memories of Bruce Lee by those who worked with him (http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1282778/new-book-recalls-memories-bruce-lee-those-who-worked-him)
New book reveals another aspect of kung fu icon as told by those who loved, and feared him
Monday, 15 July, 2013 [Updated: 9:01AM]
Amy Nip amy.nip@scmp.com

http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486x302/public/2013/07/14/a3c538d877551a5d95b9838e8654e852.jpg?itok=Rtn8G98t
Chaplin Chang‚ who worked on two of Bruce Lee's films and has now published a book about him, alongside the star's statue in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: ****son Lee

In the 40 years since Bruce Lee's death, the kung fu star has achieved almost god-like status among fans the world over.

Like Marilyn Monroe and James Dean, Lee left a legacy and an idealised image of who he was. Yet he was all too human - he swore at his boss, boasted about his prowess and threatened to kill those who challenged him.

He was also a charismatic character well-respected by old school friends and fellow cast members, said Chaplin Chang Ching-peng, assistant director on Enter the Dragon and production manager for Way of The Dragon.

"He would utter all those mother-related swear words in the face of [producer] Raymond Chow," Chang said.

It was anecdotes like this that prompted Chang to publish a book, The Bruce Lee They Knew, this month. Together with Lee biographer Roger Lo Chun-kwong, Chang has put together 11 interviews from people who worked with or befriended he star.

The interviews were done together with Enter the Dragon director Robert Clouse in 1987. Clouse used parts of the interviews to write his own book in English about Lee, while Chang had the copyright to publish a Chinese-language book - which he had not exercised until now.

Now 87, Chang has decided to publish the interviews in full. "As time passes, memories fade or become distorted. People gave more accurate accounts about Lee 20 years ago. Now fans glorify him," he said.

Some people quoted in the book have already died.

Actor Roy Chiao Hung said Lee once threatened to kill his Enter the Dragon co-star Robert Wall after Wall failed to drop a broken bottle as planned during filming and injured Lee with it.

Lee pointed a knife at Big Boss director Lo Wei after he dropped the star from casting, the director recalls in the book. About 10 days later, Lee died.

Others give accounts of how the young Lee would often fight with foreign students in his neighbourhood, how he was severely short-sighted and feared large dogs.

Recalling his time with Lee, Chang describes him as energetic, full of ideas and boastful: "He would ask people he'd just met to hit his muscular chest."

The kung fu master was kind to stunt doubles, showing them a great deal of respect and sometimes paying them higher salaries than agreed. But in the face of his superiors on the job, especially producer Chow, he was another man.

Their hostile relationship may have had something to do with how profits from movies were allocated: Lee told Chang that Chow gave him only 5 per cent of the profits from the blockbusters The Big Boss and Fists of Fury.

Nevertheless, Chang said that the movie mogul and Lee had a father-and-son relationship - they didn't quite get along, but Lee was dependent on him.

The star continues to be a worldwide icon - fans still write to Chang, and filmmakers who worked with Lee are held in awe. Chang said it was a pity that the government failed to help build a Bruce Lee museum at his former home in Kowloon Tong.

"Hong Kong is where Bruce grew up and was educated. It was his base for his films," said Chang.

[GeneChing]

There are half a dozen photos if you follow the link.

Bruce Lee's daughter recalls his energy as fans mark anniversary (http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-rt-us-hongkong-brucelee-20130717,0,1547721.story)
Brian Yap Reuters
7:43 a.m. CDT, July 19, 2013

HONG KONG (Reuters) - The daughter of kung fu legend Bruce Lee spoke fondly on Friday of her father's powerful presence and energy at a preview of an exhibition to mark the 40th anniversary of his death.

Fans are gathering in the former British colony of Hong Kong for a series of commemorative events, including art gallery shows, exhibitions and even street graffiti. Many fans are urging the Hong Kong government to do more to honor the star of movies such as Enter The Dragon and Game Of Death.

Shannon Lee was just four years old when her father died in Hong Kong from acute swelling of the brain at the age of 32, at the height of his career.

She is chairwoman of the Bruce Lee Foundation, one of the organizers of the exhibition, which will run for five years.

"I remember his energy, just sort of amazing presence when you were sort of caught in his attention and I really hold that true to my heart," Shannon Lee told a media briefing ahead of the opening on the anniversary of Lee's death on Saturday.

Les was American-born but raised in Hong Kong. His most popular film, Enter the Dragon, was released just six days after his death in 1973.

The Hong Kong government has come under fire from Lee's fans for failing to open a permanent museum in his former mansion in the upscale suburb of Kowloon Tong.

Talks failed in 2011 to get Lee's old home and it became a short-time hotel. Fans have criticized the government over what they say is the lack of a more significant memorial for one of the city's most famous sons.

Some city legislators have suggested the government is wary of fully embracing Lee's legacy for fear of unsettling Beijing by paying tribute to the star's enduring sprit of youthful rebellion.

Shannon Lee said it was the first time that her foundation had lent so many things for an exhibition, referring to the more than 600 items on show at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum.

"I am really thrilled," she said. "It is the first time a major museum anywhere in the world has mounted an exhibition of this scale and for this length of time."

The exhibition includes some of the clothes Lee wore in his movies and in ordinary life, a 3D animation of him performing some of his trade-mark moves and photographs and video footage chronicling his life.

Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang, speaking at the exhibition preview, said that as a martial arts exponent, Lee was a visionary who created his own philosophy that was still admired and followed today.

Bruce Lee was recognized last year by the U.S. House of Representatives for his significant contribution to popular culture and Chinese-American history.

(Additional reporting by Stefanie McIntyre; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Robert Birsel)

[GeneChing]

Visit the Bruce Lee: Kung Fu, Art, Life exhibition in Hong Kong (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/travel/visit-the-bruce-lee-kung-fu-art-life-exhibition-in-hong-kong/story-fnjjuxvu-1226794252617)
Cindy MacDonald
Escape
January 05, 2014 12:00AM

IF Australia had just one favourite son to hold up to the world, who would it be?

The great Donald Bradman springs to mind - a man whose achievements extended far beyond the boundaries of a cricket pitch, and whose very existence buoyed the national psyche for decades. A man worthy of his own museum, in the NSW town of Bowral, where devotees can gather to worship amid memorabilia, facts and photographs.

Just as we have The Don, Hong Kong has its own national hero. His name is Bruce Lee.

To mark the 40th anniversary in July of the untimely death of the martial artist and movie star, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum opened the Bruce Lee: Kung Fu, Art, Life multimedia exhibition.

This homage to the highly disciplined and single-minded artist, which is scheduled to run for five years, has brought together more than 600 items of his short but colourful life. Supported by the Bruce Lee Foundation and the actor's family, it offers a comprehensive look at the man, the kung fu master and the legend.

On display are everything from photos of Lee performing cha-cha moves as a teenager, to the famous mask he wore as Kato in the American TV series The Green Hornet, to his written pledge to become the "highest paid Oriental super star in the United States", to his kung fu costume for the 1973 martial arts classic Enter the Dragon.

The exhibition also features the documentary The Brilliant Life of Bruce Lee, a 75-minute tribute to his legacy.

Born the son of a celebrated Cantonese opera singer and his wife in San Francisco in 1940, Lee returned with his family to Hong Kong as a baby before heading back to the US in 1959 to complete his education.

There he married Linda Emery and had a son, Brandon (who followed his father into acting and also died tragically young), and a daughter, Shannon.

In 1971, Lee returned to Hong Kong a TV star and very quickly became an action-movie cult figure. But while shooting the fight scenes for The Game of Death in July 1973, which he had written and planned to direct himself, he suffered a fatal cerebral oedema. He was just 32.

When Bruce Lee: Kung Fu, Art, Life was launched, the director of Hong Kong's Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Betty Fung, called Lee "the pride of Hong Kong" and described his influence as crossing "the boundaries of region, race and even age".

As with Bradman, revered in Australia and on the subcontinent, Lee's enduring appeal transcended ethnicity.

The writer was a guest of the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2014/01/03/1226794/252479-6aabbea8-4b2a-11e3-95c1-9e9b6c573736.jpg
Bruce Lee exhibition Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Source: Supplied
Hold the phone - the HK Tourism Board is hosting writers to report on this? Dang, I should go. I could get a lot more eyeballs on this than an Oz newpaper...maybe not as local, but still....Gotta get their number.

[GeneChing]

Surely someone here can see this over the next three years.

Bruce Lee life exhibit coming to Seattle in three-year show at Wing Luke Museum (http://www.oregonlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2014/08/bruce_lee_exhibit_coming_to_se.html)

http://imgick.oregonlive.com/home/olive-media/width620/img/travel_impact/photo/15659936-mmmain.jpg
Bruce Lee (left) is buried next to his son Brandon Lee in Seattle's Lake View Cemetery on Capitol Hill. The two were martial arts movie superstars and visitors from around the world make pilgrimages to pay homage to them. Bruce Lee's life will be the subject of an exhibit coming to the city's Wing Luke Museum. (Terry Richard/The Oregonian/2012)

Terry Richard | trichard@oregonian.com By Terry Richard | trichard@oregonian.com
on August 20, 2014 at 10:47 AM

The life of a Seattle television and movie martial arts star, the late Bruce Lee, will be on exhibit beginning Saturday at Oct. 4 in Seattle's Wing Luke Museum.

Lee is still venerated around the world and his grave in Seattle's Lake View Cemetery is likely the most visited grave in the state of Washington.

The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, simply known as the Wing, is presenting "Do You Know Bruce?", a new exhibit on the global martial arts and cultural icon.

The exhibit runs for three years and likely will be the most-attended exhibit in the five-year history of the Wing, located in Seattle's International District at 719 S. King St.

The exhibit will explore Lee's personal story and connection to Seattle. Lee arrived to Seattle in 1959, where he attended the University of Washington, met and married his wife, opened his first martial arts studio and was ultimately laid to rest next to his son, Brandon Lee, who followed in his footsteps as a movie martial arts star.

"Do You Know Bruce?" is the only exhibit outside of Hong Kong presenting an in-depth look into Lee's life, featuring never-before-seen belongings, letters, writings and equipment from his martial arts studios. More information about the exhibit can be found at wingluke.org.

The Wing is preparing for the upcoming exhibition by creating new space specially for it. A pre-exhibit gathering takes place Saturday, Sept. 13, with a Bruce Lee ****tail Party from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Attendees will be among the first to see a few of the Bruce Lee artifacts and treasures that will be included in the exhibition.

[GeneChing]

You can't really rock the yellow jumpsuit unless you're built for it. :rolleyes:



Congressman is no Bruce Lee but he tries in video (http://onpolitics.usatoday.com/2014/10/01/jim-mcdermott-bruce-lee-vine-video/)
By: Catalina Camia October 1, 2014 1:11 pm ET


https://v.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/9257CDAD971128847223900479488_21fb2460d81.5.1.1129 0868326247033071.mp4?versionId=U7W3OfnT.HhrF6vBX8C XCRAEdDeCzYB3

Rep. Jim McDermott is paying tribute to Bruce Lee in an unusual way, by donning a yellow and black jumpsuit and displaying his own kung fu moves on Vine.

The Washington state Democrat asks “Do you know Bruce?” while dressed in a jumpsuit similar to the one Lee was wearing in Game of Death, the movie he was filming when he died in 1972 at the age of 32. We should note that McDermott doesn’t have fists of fury.

http://usatelections.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/brucelee.jpg?w=300&h=231
Bruce Lee in “Enter the Dragon.” (Warner Bros. Home Video)

An exhibit of Lee’s life opens Saturday at the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience in Seattle, the kung fu master’s adopted home town. McDermott, who represents Seattle, is a longtime supporter of the museum.

Beth Takekawa, the museum’s executive director, told KING-TV that the Bruce Lee exhibit pulls together Lee’s time in Seattle, including his days at the University of Washington where he studied drama and met Linda Emery, whom he married in 1964.

Lee’s iconic jumpsuit from the movie fetched about $100,000 in U.S. dollars last year at an auction in Hong Kong. There’s also an homage to the Lee outfit in Kill Bill, worn by Uma Thurman.

[GeneChing]

Tourism For Locals: San Francisco was Bruce Lee's Native City and There's No Homage to It (http://www.sfweekly.com/exhibitionist/2014/11/14/tourism-for-locals-san-francisco-was-bruce-lees-native-city-and-theres-no-homage-to-it)
Posted By Juan De Anda
@@JuanPDeAnda
on Fri, Nov 14, 2014 at 10:05 AM

http://www.sfweekly.com/imager/b/blog/3254019/c8dd/BruceleeworkoutdietroutinecoverEDITED.jpg?cb=14159 88960
Bruce Lee Foundation The Man. The Master. The San Franciscan

San Francisco is a boastful of its famous residents and milestones — past and present — the City erects monuments and dedicates plaques to momentous events like the creation of television and recognizes when it has been the birthplace to the famous.

But San Francisco is suffering from a case of regional amnesia — one of the greatest heroes of cinema and pop culture has no formal recognition of San Francisco being his hometown.

We are talking about one of the greats here, one who has been omitted from the collective public memory of S.F. municipal fame — the man, the myth, the martial arts master Bruce Lee.

Lee was a catalyst of change, not just in the field of mixed martial arts, but in public perception. In 1959 a short, skinny, bespectacled 18-year-old guy who lived most of his life in Hong Kong traveled back to the United States — a country that was still in the throngs of casting Chinese people in stereotypical roles as house servants and other likeminded supporting roles. But he managed to carve a niche for himself, and became more than just a star — he became an icon of strength: with steely sinew, a threatening stare and a ****y, pointed finger. And these were just some of the traits that not only captivated audiences in the United States, but international audiences as well. Although he died at the extremely young age of 32, his impact remains everlasting. (Ask a teen who Bruce Lee is, he'll know.)

Along with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and other non-S.F. based honors, Lee was named among TIME Magazine '​s 100 Most Important People of the Century (along the likes of Mother Theresa and Albert Einstein) as one of the greatest heroes and icons; and he was recognized as one of the most influential martial artists of the 20th century:
He was the redeemer, not only for the Chinese but for all the geeks and ****s and pimpled teenage masses that washed up at the theaters to see his action movies. He was David, with spin-kicks and flying leaps more captivating than any slingshot.

But here is the question that baffles us: How is it that a figure so mesmerizing on the world stage decades after his death, not have a statue in his hometown of San Francisco? Even Los Angeles, the city we hold as our rival in everything from baseball to mediocre public transit systems, has a 7-foot statue for the larger-than-life legend in their respective Chinatown. And ambitious plans were once under way for a Bruce Lee museum — in Seattle.

http://www.sfweekly.com/imager/b/blog/3254020/dfa0/CaptureofCHINESEHOSPTIALEDITed.jpg?cb=1415988961
Google Maps Bruce Lee was born here.

Something is amiss here, and quite frankly, there should be a proper mention of one of the Bay Area's greatest citizens through a piece of public art. Ideally it would be placed in an area where he frequented, but those spots are rapidly disappearing. The location of where Lee’s martial arts school once stood is now home to an auto dealership. The only remaining location would be the hospital of his birth: The Chinese Hospital on Chinatown's Jackson Street. In the lobby there's a tiny plaque, but this is simply not enough. For one of the greatest martial arts masters to not be recognized in the city of his birth (that boasts incessantly about its great residents) Bruce Lee's omission is a slap harder than any thrown by the martial arts master himself.

Where do you think a Bruce Lee S.F. monument should go?

I also posted this in our Kung-Fu-Music (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?36569-Kung-Fu-Music&p=1278523#post1278523) thread this morning.

[GeneChing]

One of my closest old friends from High School (coincidentally named Bruce) forwarded this to me from the radio station where he works. Follow the link to hear clips on soundcloud.


Bruce Lee in Seattle (http://kbcs.fm/2014/11/18/bruce-lee-in-seattle/)

http://s.bellevuecollege.edu/kbcs/uploads/2014/11/Bruce-and-Linda_kbcs-e1416509142259-150x150.jpg
TM & © Bruce Lee Enterprises, LLC. All Rights Reserved TM & © Bruce Lee Enterprises, LLC. All Rights Reserved

November 18, 2014 - 1:16 pm

You may know Bruce Lee as a martial artist legend and action movie hero. The city of Seattle is where much of his story begins.

Bruce Lee spent his youth in Hong Kong and moved to Seattle at the age of eighteen. Ruby Chow, a family friend, and future King County Councilmember, gave him a place to stay and a job as a waiter at her restaurant. After settling in, Lee studied philosophy at the University Washington and continued to develop and teach his martial art Jeet Kune Do. Seattle is where he fell in love with his wife, Linda Emery, and Seattle is where he is buried with his son Brandon. It’s estimated that 10,000 people visit his Lakeview Cemetery grave site every year.

The new exhibit Do You Know Bruce? at the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience provides us with an opportunity to look back at the movies, writings, artwork and philosophy of the man who revolutionized the modern martial arts, and whose movies are loved by millions. The Wing Luke Museum also offers the Bruce Lee’s Chinatown tour that takes you to his favorite haunts.

Listen to segments of interviews by KBCS Producer, Yuko Kodama with Bruce Lee’s friends, family and fans, and learn about the true story of Bruce Lee.

Episode 1: Shannon Lee on the cultural impact of her father Bruce Lee

Episode 2: Linda Lee recalls meeting her husband Bruce Lee

Episode 3: Martial Arts Expert and former Champion, Mike Stone on Bruce Lee’s individualism and interest in the arts

Episode 4: Martial artist and Attorney, Doug Palmer recounts memories from a trip with Bruce Lee to Hong Kong

Episode 5: Bruce Lee memorabilia collector, Perry Lee on Bruce Lee’s journey to Hollywood and beyond

(Special thanks to Asano Ogata for assistance with this project, Music by Gepel)

http://s.bellevuecollege.edu/kbcs/uploads/2014/12/Bruce-Lee-jump-300x210.jpg

[GeneChing]

Maybe I need to split Bruce Lee auction items into its own separate thread.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUjv5tELh3U

Auction went down yesterday.


http://californiauctioneers.auctionflex.com/showlots.ap?co=45993&weid=55263&weiid=0&archive=n&lso=lotnumasc&pagenum=4&lang=En

145 Han’s Bear Claw from Enter The Dragon with COA Click for full description...
Estimate: 4,000.00 - 6,000.00 Internet Bidding Has Closed

11 Images
146 14Bruce Lee’s Green Bamboo Whip from GAME OF DEATH Click for full description...
Estimate: 4,000.00 - 5,000.00 Internet Bidding Has Closed

6 Images
147 Bruce Lee's Original Jeet Kun Do Studio Sign Bruce Lee was a legendary Martial Artist, but most people don’t know that he was also a very skilled artist. Hundreds of his drawings, sketches and diagrams are in the Bruce Lee museum, and with collectors around the world, but this is the first time something of this scale has ever ...
Estimate: 2,000.00 - 4,000.00 Internet Bidding Has Closed

19 Images
148 Bruce Lee's Korean Karate book with dedication This book was given to George Lee with a fabulous dedication: “George, man this is cool! Peace-Love-Brotherhood” Bruce is referring to the page he dog-eared - page 161 describing the flying side kick, a technique which Bruce Lee became famous. Bruce Lee would underline or mark information ...
Estimate: 3,000.00 - 4,000.00 Internet Bidding Has Closed

14 Images
149 Bruce Lee’s Black Nunchuku FISTS OF FURY prototype Click for full description...
Estimate: 4,000.00 - 5,000.00 Internet Bidding Has Closed

5 Images
150 Bruce Lee's Studded character Belt w/ COA Bruce Lee’s leather studded belt. The belt was hand made to Bruce Lee’s specifications by the props department at Golden Harvest Studios in Hong Kong.

These were some publicity shots of Bruce Lee wearing the studded belts taken in 1972. In her memoirs, Bruce Lee’s widow, Linda ...
Estimate: 1,000.00 - 3,000.00
Internet Bidding Has Closed

6 Images
150a Brue Lee's Studded Character Gauntlets w/ COA Bruce Lee’s leather studded wrist bands. These were hand made to Bruce Lee’s specifications by the props department at Golden Harvest Studios in Hong Kong.

These were some publicity shots of Bruce Lee wearing the studded wrist bands taken in 1972. In her memoirs, Bruce Lee’s widow, ...
Estimate: 1,000.00 - 3,000.00
Internet Bidding Has Closed




http://auctionimages.s3.amazonaws.com/45993/55263/45112537.jpg

Handmade to Bruce Lee’s exact specifications by the Golden Harvest Studios in Hong Kong. The "Broken Rhythm" Green Bamboo Whip is one of the most historic, symbolic weapons ever used in martial arts motion picture history. This unique flexible whip was designed to help illustrate the core principles of his revolutionary martial arts system, Jeet Kune Do. As JKD was a system without fixed positions, Bruce wanted to vividly demonstrate through the use of unconventional weapons that he was not affiliated to any traditional martial arts style or philosophy. The whip, in this instance, becomes a metaphor for speed, flexibility elusiveness and unpredictability. Bruce Lee’s technique can clearly be seen during his celebrated ‘first floor’ pagoda fight sequence against Guru Dan Inosanto in Game of Death. Prior to facing off against his opponent, who is armed with two red kali sticks, Bruce comments on the whip, as follows:
“You know baby, this Bamboo is longer, more flexible, and very much alive… and when your flashy routine cannot keep up with the speed and elusiveness of this thing here, all I can say is you’ll be in deep trouble.”

This almost directly parallels his quote about the man being more important than any style or system, a dead piece of wood going up against a flexible weapon that is “very much alive.” He then continues to ‘school’ his opponent as he fights – a tool used to educate the audience, and to psych out his opponent, breaking down his confidence which in turn makes him less aggressive. Bruce Lee also mentions "Broken rhythm," a powerful way to confuse an opponent by frequently changing the pace or timing of a fight to throw an opponent off guard.
.

The Bamboo Whip is 105cm (45.5 inches) long. Bruce Lee was a true innovator in every sense, and this unique bamboo weapon, reinforced with a rubberized protective coating, is a striking example of his ability to illustrate complex principles through dynamic visual means.

Bruce Lee loved the Bamboo Whip so much that the title of his next movie was to be GREEN BAMBOO WARRIOR, and was to be centered around this weapon.

This was the last weapon coming from the estate of GEORGE LEE AKA THE MASTER MAKER has been a member of the Bruce Lee Educational Foundation since inception and is its most senior member until last year., when he passed away at the long age of 96, we gratefully thank George Lee and David Tadman for authenticating these items to be from BRUCE LEE.
Group - Category: Antiques & Collectibles - movies, stage, radio & tv
Estimate: 4,000.00 - 5,000.00


http://auctionimages.s3.amazonaws.com/45993/55263/45465430.jpg

This is one of the most iconic weapons in ENTER THE DRAGON and is instantly recognizable to millions of Martial Arts fans throughout the world. Fashioned from wood, steel prongs and artificial hair it is a unique weapon conceived by Bruce Lee himself. Bruce Lee wanted a menacing weapon for his arch enemy that would heighten the jeopardy and drama of the film. In the famous dojo scene where Bruce Lee and John Saxon battle hoards of Han’s minion, Han removes his metal hand and attaches this three pronged CLAW. He has a short battle with Bruce Lee and this claw draws FIRST BLOOD, striking Bruce Lee on the right side of his face and drawing blood. Then Han misses a strike and the Claw become lodged in a table top. Han leaves this Claw and runs off to replace it with the famous 4 blade knife claw. In the END SCENE, we see a tired Bruce Lee, standing in an archway, looking
up at the incoming helicopters. His gaze is diverted down at something. He pauses. PULL BACK AND DOWN to a CLOSE UP of the CLAW, the prongs still stuck in the table. It is the very last and deeply memorable image in the film. As CREDITS ROLL we see the hair on the claw blowing in the wind. THE END.
Enter the Dragon has been officially recognized as “culturally significant” in the United States and has been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. This Claw weapon is a important piece of Enter the Dragon memorabilia as it is the the focus of the last shot of the last movie Bruce shot. Note: a Mr. Han Action Figure came out in 2009
to honor Shih Kien as Mr. Han. Included in the list of attachments is the "Bear Claw."
Group - Category: Antiques & Collectibles - movies, stage, radio & tv
Estimate: 4,000.00 - 6,000.00


http://auctionimages.s3.amazonaws.com/45993/55263/45112576.jpg

Bruce tried out the first set of nunchukus George made and found they were too long so George shortened them from 14 inches to 12 inches. Also the nunchukus were a bit awkward because they were not tapered but rather straight wooden cylinders. George tapered them, and then for grip and flair three rings were etched around the base of each bar – a design which has been copied over and over and is standard to this day. Exert BRUCE LEE FOUNDATION.

After the Green Hornet, 1963-64 Bruce opened up another kung fu school called "Lee Jun Fan, Gung Fu Institute,” this is where he learned to use the nunchaku`s from fellow student Danny Inosanto. exert< BRUCE LEE FOUNDATION.

These extremely rare Black Nunchakus created for Bruce Lee by his good friend George Lee in 1964 , AKA the Master Maker, are one of the very first nunchakus Bruce Lee ever trained with. See early photos with Brandon Lee and Linda Lee

Only two pairs are currently documented and known to exist from 1964. Bruce Lee preferred to use these black nunchakus for training due to the more rapid speed achieved and ease to grasp, which is associated with a shorter chain. This original design was used to make the nunchakus for the onset Black nunchakus used on, FISTS OF FURY aka, BIG BOSS.

Some loss to paint, minor scratches, paint discoloration due to age, otherwise excellent condition. George Lee has been a member of the Bruce Lee Educational Foundation since inception and is its most senior member until last year when he passed away at the long age of 96. We gratefully thank George Lee and David Tadman for authenticating these items to be as stated above and from BRUCE LEE. Includes COA

Watch these classic fight scene where he uses the Nunchucks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cqzOo6B0Ic
Group - Category: Antiques & Collectibles - movies, stage, radio & tv
Estimate: 4,000.00 - 5,000.00

[GeneChing]

I should really pull all the Museum entries here out into their own thread. Not today though.



Bruce Lee collection to be showcased in HK museum (http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20150717000145&cid=1104)

Xinhua 2015-07-17 16:52 (GMT+8)

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/newsphoto/2015-07-17/450/83295_0002010.116.%E3%80%80%E3%80%80%E3%80%80%E3%8 0%80%E3%80%80%E3%80%80%E3%80%803_2012%E8%B3%87%E6% 96%99%E7%85%A7%E7%89%87_copy1.JPG
Bruce Lee. (Photo courtesy of National Geographic Channel)

A new installment in a series of martial arts legend Bruce Lee collection displays will be showcased from Saturday at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government website said on Friday.

The exhibits include the first edition of Chinese Gung Fu: The Philosophical Art of Self-Defense autographed by Lee, several reels of movie trailers including the popular The Big Boss and Fist of Fury, original behind-the-scenes photos taken on the set of Enter the Dragon and stills and posters of various films.

Themed under A Collection of Insights, Memories and Pride, the newly added collection will be on display at the five-year thematic exhibition Bruce Lee: Kung Fu ArtLife and will feature more than 200 sets of items related to Lee from the collection of Jeff Chinn, a collector from San Francisco in the United States.

The thematic exhibition has been well received by the public since it was launched in July 2013. It showcases more than 600 precious relics related to Lee on loan from a number of local and overseas collectors and institutions.

Through the exhibition, members of the public can not only gain a great insight into the achievements and contributions of Lee, but also learn more about him through collectors' eyes.

[GeneChing]

Bruce Lee’s Former Home in Hong Kong Faces an Uncertain Future (http://time.com/4024582/bruce-lee-hong-kong-home-museum/)
Nash Jenkins @pnashjenkins
3:03 AM ET

https://timedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/rtx11q5k.jpg?quality=65&strip=color&w=1100
General view is seen of the former house of Bruce Lee, which has turned into a love hotel, in Hong Kong
Bobby Yip—Reuters A general view is seen of the the former house of the late kung fu legend Bruce Lee, which has turned into a love hotel at Hong Kong's Kowloon Tong district on July 18, 2013
Until recently, the home was being used as a seedy love motel, renting out rooms by the hour

Until his sudden death in Hong Kong in 1973, at the age of 32, martial-arts icon Bruce Lee lived in Kowloon Tong or “Nine Dragon’s Pond”— a quiet neighborhood on the Kowloon peninsula. He inhabited a property that is modest looking by international standards but in densely populated Hong Kong, where land is at a premium, is considered positively palatial, tucked away in an affluent part of town, inland from the lights of the island’s dazzling skyline.

Lee is as iconic to Hong Kong as that glistening string of skyscrapers, but unlike, say, Elvis Presley’s Graceland, this fallen king’s castle is no monument to his legacy. Mainland Chinese philanthropist Yu Panglin quickly bought the property in 1974 and allowed it to be used as a love hotel: a place where rooms are rented out by the hour to couples, some on illicit trysts, to be sure, but others harried spouses, looking to escape cramped marital quarters — often shared with extended family — for a modicum of privacy.

Yu died in May, leaving the fate of Lee’s Cumberland Road home up in the air. Yu’s grandson Peng Zhibin recently told the South China Morning Post that his grandfather’s estate was “finalizing the legal procedures,” without specifying to what end. Meanwhile, Lee’s fans and family are rallying to preserve the house as a landmark to the late martial arts superstar.

“Fans all over the world hope Lee’s former residence can be preserved and made a gallery to commemorate our beloved star. But there’s very little we can do,” Wong Yiu-keung, who chairs fan group the Bruce Lee Club, told the Post. “Only the landlord and the government can make things happen.”

It would be a milestone event for Lee’s fans in Hong Kong, a city that seems to have forgotten its “No. 1 son,” as he is known to some here. Several years ago, Yu tried to work with the local government to donate the house as a Bruce Lee museum. When that plan fell through in 2011, Yu then unsuccessfully tried to sell the house for around $23 million, and the Hong Kong Heritage Museum opened a Bruce Lee exhibit as a sort of consolation prize to his fans.

In 2005, on Lee’s 65th birthday, the city unveiled a statue of him on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront — a gesture that only came about, Wong said, at the behest of Lee’s fans around the world. Curiously, the same thing happened that year in Mostar, a small city in Bosnia. (“We will always be Muslims, Serbs or Croats,” a Bosnian youth leader told the BBC at the time. “But one thing we all have in common is Bruce Lee.”)

Lee’s daughter, Shannon, has spoken out in general favor of the preservation of her childhood home as a memorial to her late father, though she is not party to the estate negotiations.

“I wish I had the answer to how to go about preserving the house,” she told the Post. “Perhaps with the success of the exhibition at the Heritage Museum, the government or a civic-minded individual will step back in to reopen discussions with the family. I hope so and would lend my full support.”

The Love Hotel aspect of this place still amuses me.

[GeneChing]

The Bruce Lee Exhibit (http://www.wingluke.org/brucelee)

http://www.angryasianman.com/images/angry/thewing_doyouknowbruce02.jpg

Our Bruce Lee exhibition will reopen as Do You Know Bruce? Breaking Barriers on Saturday, October 3. Stay tuned for more info about our opening weekend celebration.

Become a member today and get a first look at the new Do You Know Bruce? Breaking Barriers at the exclusive Member Preview on Friday, October 2.

719 South King Street (between 7th and 8th Avenue South)
Seattle, WA 98104

[GeneChing]

Now that's a party of some fine Californians.


KRISTI YAMAGUCHI, BRUCE LEE AMONG CALIFORNIA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES (http://www.rafu.com/2015/11/kristi-yamaguchi-bruce-lee-among-california-hall-of-fame-inductees/)
Posted On NOVEMBER 5, 2015 Sports, Nor Cal News

http://www.rafu.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ca-hall-of-fame-for-web-550x363.jpg
Gov. Jerry Brown and First Lady Anne Gust Brown (center) with the ninth class of California Hall of Fame inductees (from left): Robert Downey Jr., David Hockney, Lester Holt, Shannon Lee (representing Bruce Lee), Ellen Ochoa, John Owens (representing Buck Owens), Jean Schulz (representing Charles Schulz) and Kristi Yamaguchi. (Photo credit: Joe McHugh/California Highway Patrol)

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Jerry Brown and First Lady Anne Gust Brown joined the California Museum to award the Spirit of California medal to eight Californians inducted into the California Hall of Fame on Oct. 28.

This year’s inductees, who exemplify California’s spirit of innovation, are: acclaimed actor Robert Downey Jr., celebrated artist David Hockney, journalist and news anchor Lester Holt, martial arts superstar Bruce Lee, space pioneer Ellen Ochoa, country music icon Buck Owens, legendary cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, and Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi.

“California continuously reinvents itself and the people we honor have that combination of tradition, innovation and, of course, creativity,” said Brown.

Inductees and family members of posthumous inductees received the Spirit of California medal from the governor and first lady in the official state ceremony at the California Museum in downtown Sacramento.

In addition to receiving the Spirit of California medal, inductees are being commemorated with an exhibit of personal artifacts highlighting their lives and achievements, which opened on Oct. 29 and runs through Aug. 28, 2016.

This year’s medal recipients join 88 Californians previously inducted into the California Hall of Fame for making remarkable achievements across a variety of California industries and areas of influence, including science, philanthropy, sports, business, entertainment, literature, technology, activism and politics.

For more information, visit www.CaliforniaMuseum.org/california-hall-fame.

Kristi Yamaguchi

Born in 1971 in Hayward and raised in Fremont, Yamaguchi has been an inspiration to millions of fans around the world for her athletic achievements and for continually giving back to the community.

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Kristi Yamaguchi (Courtesy of Kristi Yamaguchi)
Following her gold medal win at the 1992 Winter Olympics, Yamaguchi founded the Always Dream Foundation to support children through educational and recreational initiatives.

As a professional skater, she toured with Stars on Ice from 1992-2002, won numerous professional competitions and appeared on television specials. During the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, she was the goodwill ambassador and performed in both the opening and closing ceremonies. In addition, she has been a spokesperson for National Skating Month and worked with U.S. Figure Skating to encourage people to skate for fun and fitness.

In 1996, Yamaguchi was named Skater of the Year by American Skating World magazine. She has appeared on International Figure Skating magazine’s annual “25 Most Influential Names in Figure Skating” list several times and was named the most influential person in the sport for the 2001-02 seasons.

She was named to the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame and the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame and was inducted into the USOC Olympic Hall of Fame. In 2008, she received the prestigious Thurman Munson Award and the Asian Excellence Award. In 2011, she was awarded the Legacy for Children Award from Children’s Discovery Museum and was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame by the San Jose Sports Authority.

Yamaguchi was the champion on the sixth season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” receiving perfect marks with dance partner Mark Ballas for their final three dances. She also is the New York Times best-selling author of two children’s books, “Dream Big, Little Pig” and “It’s a Big World, Little Pig.”

She is married to former NHL Stanley Cup champion Bret Hedican and is the mother of two girls.

Bruce Lee

Born in 1940, Lee was one of the most influential martial artists of all time. He became an iconic figure known throughout the world when he starred in a series of martial arts films that showcased his incredible physical talents.

http://www.rafu.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/brucelee_cahalloffameinductee-233x300.png
Bruce Lee (©Bruce Lee Enterprises, LLC, courtesy of Bruce Lee Foundation)
Lee was born in San Francisco; his parents were in the city because his father was on tour with the Chinese Opera. Raised in Hong Kong, he began appearing in Chinese films as a child and by the time he was 18 had appeared in 20 films. At 13, he began studying martial arts with Wing Chun Master Yip Man.

Lee moved back to the U.S. in 1959, where he attended college. He supported himself by teaching martial arts at schools he established in Seattle, Oakland and Los Angeles, while he and his wife, Linda, raised their son, Brandon, and daughter, Shannon. Lee quickly began to develop new ideas about martial arts and training based on his experiences, leading him to create his own art called Jeet Kune Do, or “The Way of the Intercepting Fist.”

Lee rekindled his acting career in Hollywood with a series of small parts in film and on television, most notably as Kato in the series “The Green Hornet.” In 1971, he starred in the first of five legendary martial arts films that were huge financial successes and made him an international star. Lee’s life was cut short when he died at age 32 of a cerebral edema caused by an allergic reaction to pain medication, just days before the release of his blockbuster hit “Enter the Dragon” (1973).

[GeneChing]

I'm surprised there isn't more cashing in on Bruce's 75th.



Bruce Lee commemorative coins go on sale in Taiwan (http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aedu/201512080030.aspx)
2015/12/08 19:32:23

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Taipei, Dec. 8 (CNA) Silver coins featuring Bruce Lee went on sale at the Bank of Taiwan on Tuesday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the birth of the legendary Hong Kong American martial artist.

The one-ounce coins are made from 99.9% pure silver bullion, each with a face value of 2 Niue dollars (US$ 1.32).

The coins feature an image of Bruce Lee in his 1972 film "Way of the Dragon," with his signature nunchuks under his arms. The third character in Lee's Chinese name - "long" (meaning "dragon") - is engraved in enlarged red calligraphy on the coins.

The coins are being sold at the branches, departments of businesses and museum of the Bank of Taiwan at a price of NT$3,360 (US$102) each. The bank has advised, however, that interested persons should call first to ask about availability.

Produced by the Singapore Mint, 6,000 Bruce Lee coins have been released worldwide, the bank said.

Lee, who died in 1973 at the age of 32, was considered one of the greatest martial artists of all time. During his movie career, he starred in five feature films and was known for his famous "one-inch punch," among other moves.

(By Chiu Po-sheng and Christie Chen)
ENDITEM/pc

[GeneChing]

I really must split the Museum posts off into their own indie thread someday.


Family of 'big-hearted billionaire' who owned Bruce Lee’s Hong Kong mansion in dispute over will (http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1890133/family-tycoon-who-owned-bruce-lees-mansion)
Billionaire left his estate to charitable trust, says grandson in High Court writ that challenges claims by uncle and cousin
PUBLISHED : Saturday, 12 December, 2015, 12:00pm
UPDATED : Saturday, 12 December, 2015, 12:28pm
Julie Chu julie.chu@scmp.com

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A woman walks past Bruce Lee's old home in Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong. Photo: AFP

Late billionaire Yu Pang-lin, who tried to turn one of his properties – kung fu legend Bruce Lee’s former Hong Kong mansion – into a museum before he died left all his assets to charity, according to a court document.

His grandson Pang Chi-ping filed a writ in the High Court yesterday asking the court to declare that the will made on July 21, 2011, was valid and should be executed.

The court action puts Pang at odds with his uncle Pang Ah-fan and cousin Pang San-hon, who each filed a caveat challenging the will to the court in September and November respectively.

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A promotional poster for the Bruce Lee memorial exhibition at the Heritage Museum to mark the 40th anniversary of the kung fu legend’s death on July 20, 1973. Photo: AP

Yu, who built up his fortune in hotel and property, died in Shenzhen on May 2 aged 92. It is believed he left over HK$10 billion in his estate.

Pang said the will left all the estate “both real and personal whatsoever and wheresoever to ... the [charitable trust]” that he established in January 2009. He appointed Pang Chi-ping as a trustee last year.

Pang Chi-ping asked the court to declare Yu’s 2011 will his “true last and final will” and to override the two caveats.

As the case involved a charitable trust, the grandson also included the Secretary for Justice as one of the defendants to play the role of legal guardian.

Solicitor Keith Ho, who represented Pang Chi-ping, said: “The plaintiff will use his best efforts to implement the provisions in the will so that all the assets in the estate of the late Yu Pang-lin will be used for charitable purposes.”

Yu, a native of Hunan province who moved to Hong Kong in 1958, bought Lee’s mansion in Kowloon Tong from Golden Harvest studio founder Raymond Chow for about HK$1 million in 1974 and turned it into a love hotel.

Yu planned to sell the house in 2008 to raise money for Sichuan earthquake victims but scrapped the idea when fans urged him to restore and preserve it. He said he would donate it to the public for restoration.

Yu then negotiated with the government to turn 41 Cumberland Road into a Bruce Lee museum complex equipped with a cinema, library and martial arts centre. He asked that the building’s floor space be increased to 30,000 sq ft.

But the plans never came to fruition and the museum idea was quietly dropped in 2011.

[GeneChing]

Bruce Lee Exhibit Opens in Beijing (http://en.yibada.com/articles/108173/20160307/bruce-lee-exhibit-opens-in-beijing.htm)
Vittorio Hernandez | Mar 07, 2016 11:41 AM EST

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Madame Tussauds New York Welcomes Bruce Lee's Wax Figure For A Limited Time (Photo : Getty Images)

Fans of the Chinese martial arts icon Bruce Lee have until Sunday to catch the actor’s exhibit at Beijing SKP. The newly opened exhibit has as its theme “Be water, my friend,” one of the most famous quotes of the star of “The Game of Death.”
All the things on display are only on loan from the Bruce Lee Foundation in the U.S. The artifacts on exhibit include the breakdown for “The Game of Death” movie that Lee wrote, “The Green Hornet” mask that the actor used for the TV show and his black martial arts coat, reported China Daily.
Lee, who made martial arts a global film genre, unexpectedly died in 1973 when his second child, daughter Shannon, was only 4 years old. She is his daughter with wife Linda Emery. Shannon said that the exhibit is emphasizing her father’s message and life philosophy to “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless like water.”
Shannon said that the exhibit would hopefully inspire visitors to be inspired “to be the best version of themselves” instead of being copies of other people. Lee wants people to look inside themselves and gain a better understanding of themselves which would lead them to become the best version of themselves.
In January, the exhibit was at the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience. The 3-hour walking-talking-eating tour was described by Heraldnet as an intimate look at the five years stay of the Kung Fu legend in Seattle.
The exhibit includes the table where he dined on his favorite dishes such as oyster sauce beef and shrimp with black bean sauce.
According to Maya Hayashi, Wing Luke tour coordinator, Lee’s mother was part-German, while his father was a Chinese opera actor. He was born in San Francisco in 1940, the year of the dragon. Young Bruce grew up in Hong Kong, studied Kung Fu and came to Seattle in 1959 to work at a restaurant as a waiter.
He studied philosophy at the University of Washington where he met Linda, a Seattle native. He was discovered in 1964 when he moved to California with Linda. Lee died at age 32 from a reaction to a pain medicine.



Bruce Lee exhibition opens in Beijing (http://english.cntv.cn/2016/03/05/VIDEZd5SNo51c9DCNqeEhsT6160305.shtml)
Reporter: Luo Chen 丨 CCTV.com
03-05-2016 06:42 BJT

"Be water, my friend". It's one of martial-arts legend Bruce Lee's most famous quotes. It's also the theme of a new Beijing exhibition about the immortal film and Kungfu star. Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee, was there on the opening day.

http://p1.img.cctvpic.com/photoworkspace/contentimg/2016/03/05/2016030508203330348.jpg

"Be water, my friend". It's one of martial-arts legend Bruce Lee's most famous quotes. It's also the theme of a new Beijing exhibition about the immortal film and Kungfu star

The exhibition features dozens of Bruce Lee-related artifacts, including his black martial arts coat, a mask he used in the TV series "The Green Hornet", as well as the breakdown for the movie "The Game of Death", which Lee wrote.

All of the exhibits are on loan from the Bruce Lee Foundation in the U.S.

Bruce Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee, also the president of the foundation, wants to convey the essential philosophical concept that describes her father's life-force.

"He said 'Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless like water'. The idea is that, when applying to martial arts, to flow with your opponent.... He not only applied it to martial arts but to life as well," said Shannon Lee, daughter of Bruce Lee.

Turning martial arts into a global phenomenon, Bruce Lee remains a world icon even today, four decades after his death.

And the foundation, with events around the world, continues to infuse later generations with his power.

"We really want to use my father's message and philosophy to inspire people to be the best version of themselves. He didn't want people to copy others; he wanted people to look inside themselves and understand who they are," Shannon said.

"Through the foundation, we really want to help people to achieve their goals and dreams."

Shannon Lee is second child of Bruce Lee and his wife Linda Emery. She was only 4 years old when her father died suddenly in 1973, but she is convinced he would have made a great father if given the opportunity.

"The very strong memory about my dad is a sense of him, his energy. He was so playful, energetic, and loving. He really loves his kids. When he was with you, he was very present, very connected to you. That feeling made you feel loved, safe, like you were very special," she said.

She adds that, as her father left such a vast legacy, she never stops connecting to him in one way or another.

"He wrote a lot. We have pages and pages of his writing. Also, I studied martial arts with his student....... It helps me to continue to know him, even if he isn't here......It's the most beautiful gift anyone can have," she said.

Shannon also revealed that two new biopic films about her father are now in production.

The exhibition runs until Sunday at Beijing SKP.


Was Bruce ever in Beijing? Did Beijing even know about Bruce when he was alive?

[GeneChing]

THE BRUCE LEE EXHIBIT (http://www.wingluke.org/brucelee)
SAVE THE DATE for the All New Bruce Lee Exhibit
Day in the Life of Bruce Lee: Do You Know Bruce? Part 3 opens October 1, 2016.

Day in the Life of Bruce Lee: Do You Know Bruce? Part 3 was created in partnership with the Bruce Lee Foundation and with the generous support of many sponsors, donors and partners.



THE BRUCE LEE EXHIBIT (http://www.wingluke.org/bruceleetickets)
Preview Bash Tickets

Members, reserve your tickets to the Preview Bash on Friday, September 30, 2016, 3-8pm! Grab your time-slot to see the Day in the Life of Bruce Lee: Do You Know Bruce? Part 3 exhibit before it opens to the public and party the night away with fun events including:
Collector's Corner, highlighting special Seattle connections
Special remarks from Shannon Lee
Jams supplied by Integrals DJ
Bruce Tea tasting and giveaways
Photo booth fun, hor d'oeuvres, create your own Definite Chief Aim with Desert Jewels, and more!
Become a member to get unlimited FREE admission, a limited edition Bruce Lee membership card, discounts to tours and more.

Bruce Lee's Chinatown Tour

Plan for a tour beginning Saturday, October 1!
Get to know Bruce better. Retrace his footsteps through the Chinatown-International District, his old stomping ground. His first practice space, his first martial arts studio, and his hangouts - see how he became a part of the local community.

Tour includes guided access of the Bruce Lee exhibit, a meal of Bruce Lee's favorite dishes at a neighborhood restaurant*, and entry into all galleries at The Wing. Advanced reservations online of at least 24 hours are required.

*Limited food substitutions may be made for severe food allergies and dietary restrictions if booked at least one week in advance.

Book Now


Duration: 3 hours
Tour times: Tuesday - Saturday: 10:15am
Recommended for: All ages
Prices: Adults: $41.95
Seniors: $35.95
Students (13-18 or with student ID): $25.95
Children (5-12): $25.95
Under 5: Free


I should split Museum items to their own thread soon. Jackie has a dedicated thread to his museum (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?51447-Jackie-Chan-Museum), but that's all him. These special shows to Bruce are different.

[GeneChing]

https://www.moma.org/d/assets/W1siZiIsIjIwMTYvMTIvMTIvNWlwdnk0dGlyZV9HYW1lX29mX0 RlYXRoX2hvbWVwYWdlLmpwZyJdLFsicCIsImNvbnZlcnQiLCIt cmVzaXplIDIwMDB4MjAwMFx1MDAzZSJdXQ/Game-of-Death-homepage.jpg?sha=ffa07e191cf06ee0

Eternal Bruce Lee (https://www.moma.org/calendar/film/3641?locale=en)
January 27–February 4, 2017
The Museum of Modern Art

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) passed away at the peak of his career, yet decades later he remains a larger-than-life icon of global cinema. The star exhibits an impulsive, instinctual fighting style rarely seen in kung fu films, a genre that typically reveres moralistic masters who embody both bodily and mental discipline. While Lee plays characters motivated by justice and pride (both cultural and national), he often fights with absolute abandon, allowing a primordial spirit to take center stage. In his final film, Enter the Dragon, Lee’s character describes an “emotional content” essential to a martial artist. It is this emotional content that makes him uniquely sensational. The swiftness of his movement, the power of each strike, his breathtaking mastery of the nunchaku (a weapon made of two sticks connected by a chain), his signature high-pitched feline shriek, and his ability to bring men of far more imposing physiques—many of them foreigners—to their knees made him an unusually thrilling performer. His charisma and preternatural physical gifts have garnered many millions of fans around the world, redefining Asian masculinity and empowering those who feel oppressed and marginalized.

Born in San Francisco and raised in Hong Kong, Lee was introduced to showbiz by his father, a Chinese opera and film actor. He appeared in more than 20 films as a child and began martial arts training at the age of 13. Lee returned to the US when he was 18, and studied philosophy and drama at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he began to teach martial arts. Before long he had earned acting roles in film and television, most memorably as Kato on the TV series The Green Hornet. When the series was discontinued, Lee returned to Hong Kong and was approached by legendary producer Raymond Chow to star in The Big Boss (1971) for Golden Harvest. The low-budget film catapulted him to instant stardom, and Hollywood took notice; Enter the Dragon (1973) became the first-ever Hong Kong-Hollywood coproduction. Yet in a tragedy that shocked the entire world, Lee passed away suddenly, a month before the film’s scheduled release, due to a fatal reaction to a pain medication.

This series features all five films Lee starred in at his prime. It includes the North American premieres of new 4k restorations of The Big Boss (1971), Fist of Fury (1972), The Way of the Dragon (1972), and Game of Death (1978). Enter the Dragon (1973) is also featured, in a weeklong run.

Organized by La Frances Hui, Associate Curator, Department of Film. Special thanks to Warner Bros. and Fortune Star.

The exhibition is supported by the Annual Film Fund.

Upcoming events

https://www.moma.org/d/assets/W1siZiIsIjIwMTYvMTIvMTIvMzhzNnczczl2d19HSDI4OV9GaX N0X09mX0Z1cnlTMDMuanBnIl0sWyJwIiwiY29udmVydCIsIi1y ZXNpemUgMTE4NHhcdTAwM2UgLWdyYXZpdHkgQ2VudGVyIC1leH RlbnQgMTE4NHg3NDAiXV0/GH289-Fist-Of-FuryS03.jpg?sha=d575f231b030e83f
*Fist of Fury.* 1972. Hong Kong. Directed by Lo Wei. © 2010 Fortune Star Media Limited
Fist of Fury (aka The Chinese Connection). 1972. Directed by Lo Wei
Friday, January 27, 7:00 p.m.
North American premiere of 4K restoration
Sunday, January 29, 6:00 p.m.
North American premiere of 4K restoration
The Museum of Modern Art

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*Game of Death.* 1979. Hong Kong. Directed by Bruce Lee, Robert Clouse, Sammo Hung. © 2010 Fortune Star Media Limited
Game of Death. 1978. Directed by Robert Clouse, Bruce Lee, Sammo Hung
Saturday, January 28, 2:30 p.m.
North American premiere of 4K restoration
Thursday, February 2, 7:00 p.m.
North American premiere of 4K restoration
The Museum of Modern Art

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*The Big Boss.* 1971. Hong Kong. Directed by Lo Wei and Wu Chia Hsiang. © 2010 Fortune Star Media Limited
The Big Boss (aka Fists of Fury). 1971. Directed by Lo Wei
Saturday, January 28, 4:30 p.m.
North American premiere of 4K restoration
Friday, February 3, 7:00 p.m.
North American premiere of 4K restoration
The Museum of Modern Art

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*The Way of the Dragon.* 1972. Hong Kong. Directed by Bruce Lee. © 2010 Fortune Star Media Limited
The Way of the Dragon. 1972. Directed by Bruce Lee
Saturday, January 28, 7:00 p.m.
North American premiere of 4K restoration
Saturday, February 4, 7:00 p.m.
North American premiere of 4K restoration
The Museum of Modern Art

https://www.moma.org/d/assets/W1siZiIsIjIwMTYvMTIvMTIvNm91MW5vMGQwdl9FbnRlcl90aG VfRHJhZ29uXzAwMjc4NzMxLmpwZyJdLFsicCIsImNvbnZlcnQi LCItcmVzaXplIDExODR4XHUwMDNlIC1ncmF2aXR5IENlbnRlci AtZXh0ZW50IDExODR4NzQwIl1d/Enter-the-Dragon-00278731.jpg?sha=60cab78469c6c82c
*Enter the Dragon.* 1973. Hong Kong/USA. Directed by Robert Clouse. Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Enter the Dragon. 1973. Directed by Robert Clouse
Sunday, January 29, 3:30 p.m.
Monday, January 30, 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 31, 7:00 p.m.
4 more upcoming occurrences
The Museum of Modern Art
Film

The perfect way to celebrate Chinese New Year (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69980-2017-Year-of-the-Fire-Rooster&p=1299550#post1299550)!

[GeneChing]

Remembering The World’s Greatest Martial Artist At Bruce Lee Paradise (http://www.thislifeintrips.com/remembering-worlds-greatest-martial-artist-bruce-lee-paradise/)
by Jamie Collins

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The following article “Remembering the World’s Greatest Martial Artist at Bruce Lee Paradise” is courtesy of guest contributor Jamie Collins. If you are interested in contributing to thislifeintrips.com send me an email!

There have been only a handful of individuals who were able to influence both the Eastern and Western hemisphere in such a way that it changes the history of the world for good. One of those chosen few is Bruce Lee.

Bruce Lee, aka The Dragon, is considered by many experts as the greatest martial artist of all time and recognized as the ‘grandfather of mixed martial arts’. And there’s no better place to experience the life and works of The Dragon than at Bruce Lee Paradise. Situated in Guangdong, China just next to Hong Kong, this theme park is a fitting tribute to one of the world’s most influential figureheads.

Named by South China Morning Post as one of the country’s most unique theme parks, the site houses the biggest statue of the martial arts icon which stands at roughly 19 meters. Cao Chong’en, regarded as among the nation’s top sculptors, was the maestro behind the bronze masterpiece. The characters at the bottom spell out the title King of Kungfu.

Elsewhere in the park, tourists may visit the Bruce Lee Commemorative Museum to get a larger dose of all things Bruce Lee. The aforementioned sculptor has an area dedicated to his other works as well at Cao Chong’en Sculpture Gallery.

Additionally, a martial arts academy has been established to accommodate people who practice various art forms. Numerous fighting styles are taught here, but the main is Jeet Kune Do, the style created and popularized by Lee.

Seeing as kung fu bases many of its fundamentals on nature, Bruce Lee Paradise also doubles up as an eco resort, housing lakes, mountains and fields of lush vegetation. Top China Travel specified that there are around 60 species of birds which inhabit the area, with the most popular being egrets.

http://www.thislifeintrips.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Waterfall-Bruce-Lee-Paradise-Bruce-Lee-Ancestrial-Home-Shunde-Foshan-2-1024x768.jpg
source: Survive Travel

The Dragon had a huge appreciation for nature, and took inspiration from it that helped form his philosophies and outlook on life. In fact, Lee stated in one of his most famous quotes, “You must be shapeless, formless, like water. Become like water my friend.”

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(source: Accidental Travel Writer)

But although Lee became famous through his martial arts, he did so much more than just popularize kung fu. For instance, a book shared by Academia, entitled Beyond Bruce Lee, talked about how the cultural icon’s prominence affected societal and political issues, and likened him to figures such as Che Guevara and Jimi Hendrix. He redefined the image of Asians in the public consciousness, and whilst living in times when racism was rampant, Lee advocated for equality regardless of ethnicity, thus becoming instrumental in letting the voices of minority groups be heard.

Today, Lee is celebrated in several works including books like the aforementioned. Furthermore, action movies were never the same again after his films became popular. Virtually every film today featuring hand-to-hand combat sequences has roots, one way or another, in Lee’s methods. The classic Tarantino film Kill Bill even paid homage to the martial artist by making the outfit of the protagonist similar to the iconic yellow jumpsuit worn by Lee in his unfinished film, Game of Death, according to MTV News.

Lee’s almost legendary quickness and kung fu mastery are also interpreted in various ways throughout numerous video games inspired by the martial artist. The Post Game highlighted Bruce Lee: Enter the Game which pits players against skilled AI opponents. On the flipside, the iconic high kick pose of the master is featured as a symbol in the Bruce Lee slot title hosted on Slingo. Regardless of being the main element or a design theme in relevantly inspired works, Lee’s image and status will continue to garner people’s admiration throughout the coming years.

http://www.thislifeintrips.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/bruce-lee-park.jpg
(source: Trip Advisor)

Of all the tributaries to The Dragon, however, Bruce Lee Paradise ranks as the best example in terms of honoring the martial arts icon. And whether you’re a casual visitor or a die-hard Bruce Lee and kung fu fan, Bruce Lee Paradise certainly has something for everyone.

Seems nice. We should really make the journey...

[GeneChing]

Tiger Claw Focus Mitt (https://www.tigerclaw.com/vinyl-focus-mitt-martial-arts-pr-6540.html) at 1:53


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmP9xwoIAyo

[GeneChing]

Exploring kung fu culture (http://www.atimes.com/article/exploring-kung-fu-culture/)
Kung Fu Wildstyle, an exhibition at the Smithsonian in Washington, showcases the extent of Bruce Lee’s influence on New York street culture
By RICHARD JAMES HAVIS APRIL 1, 2017 10:00 AM (UTC+8) 1822

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Bruce Sextet, One Red, Fab 5 Freddy, 2012

Fans of hip hop music may be surprised to discover that kung fu movies had a big influence on the development of the genre in New York in the 1970s and early 1980s – and even influenced the wider street art scene.

“All the guys who were part of the original hip hop and graffiti scene used to watch kung fu movies,” says Tom Vick, the organiser of Kung Fu Wildstyle, an exhibition at the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington DC. “Admission prices for kung fu films were cheap, and they would watch them in cinemas in Times Square. The films had a lot of energy, and everyone got into them. Even some breakdancing moves were directly influenced by martial arts moves.”

The Smithsonian is presenting the Kung Fu Wildstyle exhibition – which originally showed in Hong Kong before travelling to Shanghai and New York – as part of a program surrounding the new National Museum of African American Art and Culture, which opened in Washington last September. “We’re doing a year-long celebration with the other Smithsonian institutions to welcome the new museum,” says Vick. “We thought this would be great way to make a connection between African American and Asian culture, because of the intertwined history of kung fu and early hip hop, and street art.”

The show features the artwork of Fab 5 Freddy (real name Fred Braithwaite), one of New York’s original graffiti artists, and MC Yan, a Hong Kong hip hop artist and graffiti artist. Freddy’s artwork depicts Bruce Lee, who was a major influence on the nascent hip hop culture of the 1970s. Yan merges the idea of graffiti with the style of Chinese painting. “Fab 5 Freddy’s idea was to take the principles of hip hop sampling and apply them to art,” says Vick. “There’s a repetition in the images, a kind of layering – it’s a kind of visual equivalent of hip hop in a painting. MC Yan does a similar thing. His paintings are multiple-panel assemblages made with magic markers and spray paint, so his work is connected to street-art materials.”

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Suicide Kick, by MC Yan, 2012 Suicide Kick, by MC Yan, 2012

Freddy and Yan originally met over the internet and became friends due to an interest in art and hip hop, as well as a shared admiration for Bruce Lee. Freddy was intrigued by Yan’s interest in African American music. “Yan came out of an underground scene that was inspired by urban New York,” says Vick. “He restructured what he saw, and applied it to his own culture and the political scene in Hong Kong. Fab found it interesting, because Yan’s culture had originally influenced Fab himself. It had kind of come full circle.”

The major connector between the two cultures he adds, is Bruce Lee, an iconic figure in both Hong Kong and African American culture. “Lee became a symbol of oppressed people everywhere. They related to the way he fought back against authority in his films. He was certainly a cool martial arts guy, but he was more than that – he was a political figure. The hip hop community and graffiti artists responded to that, as those ideas are deeply embedded in hip hop and graffiti art.”

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Triple Green Bruce Fab 5, Fab 5 Freddy, 2012 Triple Green Bruce Fab 5, Fab 5 Freddy, 2012

The Kung Fu Wildstyle exhibition also features an event with Shaolin Jazz, a DJ group that mixes a live soundtrack of hip hop, soul and funk to accompany classic kung fu movies. “This shows how the two cultures have evolved together over the years,” notes Vick.

Hip hop group Wu Tang Clan, who debuted in the 1990s, are an example of how the relationship between African American music and kung fu developed, he adds. “Wu Tang Clan based their whole mythos on the idea of brotherhood that they got from kung fu movies. The idea of clans that defend themselves, defend each other, and have codes of honour was directly lifted from kung fu movies. Martial arts was was not just a physical influence, it was a philosophical one, too.”

Honestly now, which 'fans of hip hop music may be surprised to discover that kung fu movies had a big influence on the development of the genre in New York'? Dumb hip hop fans who have no sense of hip hop history? :rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

Time to split the Kung Fu Wildstyle posts off into their own independent thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70244-Kung-Fu-Wildstyle-at-the-Smithsonian) from the Bruce Lee Memorials (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?42950-Bruce-Lee-Memorials). It is the Smithsonian, after all.


“KUNG FU WILDSTYLE” BRIDGES THE EAST AND THE WEST (http://www.craveonline.com/art/1252639-kung-fu-wildstyle-bridges-east-west#/slide/1)
“Kung Fu Wildstyle,” a new exhibition and event series, reveals the cross-cultural influence of classic action films on Hip Hop—and vice versa.
Miss Rosenby Apr 24th, 2017

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Artwork: Boom Box Bruce (detail), 2012; Fab 5 Freddy (detail)

Back in the days, when the Broadway theaters along the Deuce had been reconfigured as movie houses, kung fu films reigned supreme. Born in Hong Kong as a backlash against the supernatural elements of traditional wuxia storytelling, Kung fu rejected the fantasy clichés and cheap effects in favor of the ancient stories of youxia, the knight-errants of a warrior’s quest.

By the 1970s, kung fu films reached their greatest heights as Hong Kong flowered in the midst of a major economic boom. With the 1971 release of Bruce Lee’s first feature-length film, Big Boss, Kung fu broke out of the regional market and reached international audiences. Lee’s anti-imperialist stance, which was grounded in the principles of the Tao, spoke not only to his native communities but also to the African-American audiences in the United States.

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Kung fu captured the imagination of a new generation of Americans coming up in the wake of the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War. A new narrative was born, one that fit the times as the ethos of Do It Yourself became words to live by. The struggles of the hero, classic plotting, the wicked fights, the cartoonish villains, and the wonky dubbing all made for a fantastic film-going experience.

At a time where one could post up in a movie theater all day and night, watching films one after another with only having to pay admission once—catching the latest kung fu flicks became a popular form of entertainment back when there were only 5 or 6 television channels and no Internet.

Invariably, the strength of kung fu culture left an indelible impression on the emerging Hip Hop generation. While pop culture classics like “Kung Fu Fighting” hit the airwaves, the underground would emerge in just a few years with the global takeover of the Wu-Tang Clan.

In celebration, Kung Fu Wildstyle reflects on this classic period of pop culture, and the way it spawned a cross-cultural, multi-generational dialogue between the East and the West through the works of Hip-Hop impresario Fab 5 Freddy and MC Yan, the Godfather of Chinese Hip-Hop.

Currently on view at the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington, D.C., through April 30, 2017, Kung Fu Wildstyle looks at the influence of Bruce Lee and kung fu on 1970s New York street culture and Hip Hop—which, in turn, came full circle in the 1990s, inspiring a new generation of Hong Kong street culture.

In speaking with Hypebeast, Fab 5 Freddy described the similarities between the different worlds: “It is the attitude. If you think of the early development of the American pop culture, especially movies, then you have the idea of the Western as a genre with the good guy/bad guy theme, with the Native Americans being unfairly labeled as the bad ones. After the Western, the gangster movie genre arrived, which was highly popular in America as well. Then, all of a sudden, you have this brand new thing carrying the same the good guy/bad guy gene but put in a completely new world featuring these Chinese guys with the cool kung fu gear and these great fighting skills set within this amazing culture. Every kid wanted to emulate every move. It was a phenomenal thing. Its energy made me realize how and why it resonated to our culture.”

The exhibition has included a series of events that present art works, film, music, and performance together, showcasing the consistent intersections between the cultures over the past 40 years. From Enter the Dragon (1973) to Wild Style (1983) visitors have been able to reconnect with the independent spirit that launched a brand new culture to the world. On Thursday, April 27, the Smithsonian will host The LA Uprising 25 Years Later at the Oprah Winfrey Theater at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.


"Kung Fu Wildstyle" exhibit at Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

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Dan McCoy, 1936-, Photographer. 42nd Street, just west of Seventh Avenue, New York, 1970. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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Big Boss movie poster.

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Bruce Sextet, One Red, 2012, by Fab 5 Freddy.

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Wild Style movie poster.

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Boom Box Bruce, 2012. By Fab 5 Freddy.


Miss Rosen is a journalist covering art, photography, culture, and books. Her byline has appeared in L’Uomo Vogue, Vogue Online, Whitewall, The Undefeated, Dazed Digital, Jocks and Nerds, and L’Oeil de la Photographie. Follow her on Twitter @Miss_Rosen.
9

[GeneChing]

Tourists keep looking for Bruce Lee in the one place that can’t seem to remember him (https://qz.com/979707/tourists-keep-looking-for-bruce-lee-in-the-one-place-that-cant-seem-to-remember-him/)
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Don't turn your back on me. (Bobby Yip/Reuters)

WRITTEN BY
Vivienne Chow
May 21, 2017

When Bruce Lee was just a few months old, his family moved from San Francisco to Hong Kong’s Kowloon area, where he went to school, got into scraps, and began training in martial arts. Yet traces of the legendary fighter and movie star in the city are surprisingly rare, and the city’s most significant homage to him might soon be gone.
Efforts to create a Bruce Lee museum have never gotten off the ground, but in the last few years, visiting fans seeking to commune with their idol have been able to do that at Bruce Lee: Kung Fu ‧ Art ‧ Life, an exhibition at Hong Kong’s Heritage Museum slated to close July 2018.
Critics of the city’s lack of a permanent homage to Lee say this is the time to put fresh efforts into building a museum for the star, who still has a massive global following decades after his unexpected death at the age of 32.
If the show closes as planned or goes on tour—a possibility his daughter Shannon Lee told Quartz she is considering—tourists looking for Bruce Lee in Hong Kong will have to content themselves with gazing at this statue (below), or this waxwork figure of him at Hong Kong’s Madame Tussaud’s.

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Bruce Lee statute Hong Kong Heritage MuseumA statue of Bruce Lee was unveiled at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum during the opening of a five-year exhibition about him, which coincided with the anniversary of his death 40 years earlier. (Bobby Yip/Reuters)

The end of the Hong Kong Bruce Lee exhibition

The Heritage Museum exhibit opened in 2013, 40 years after the death of the Enter the Dragon star and founder of Jeet Kune Do, a system of martial arts and philosophy. It was a joint effort between the city’s Leisure and Cultural Services Department, which runs the public museums of Hong Kong, and the Bruce Lee Foundation, headed by daughter Shannon Lee.
The show highlights more than 600 exhibits ranging from school photos and enrollment records, to drawings and diaries of the San Francisco-born icon, to a choreography notebook that lists “cha cha fancy steps.” Around 400 exhibits chronicling the life of the kung fu legend were provided on loan by the foundation, founded in 2002 by his wife Linda Lee Caldwell and his daughter. The rest came from individual collectors. These include costumes and props from movie sets for some of the star’s most famous titles, including Game of Death, in production when Bruce Lee suddenly died.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department said the exhibition has had more than 2 million visitors since its inception, and the department is exploring the possibility of extending the show with the foundation.
But the foundation might have other thoughts. Shannon Lee, who recently approved a new biopic of her father, told Quartz in an email that a decision regarding the future of the exhibition is yet to be made. She said she was open to extending the show but taking the show to other destinations is also a possibility. “We are about to enter into discussions with the Heritage Museum about the exhibition,” she said.
Meanwhile, the foundation is working on building a Bruce Lee Action Museum in Seattle where the star met his future wife, had a family, opened a martial arts school and is buried.

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A woman walks past the former Kowloon Tong home of kung fu star Bruce Lee, at the time a motel frequented by couples. The billionaire owner’s death has left the property in dispute among his heirs—and in danger of being demolished. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

The “love hotel” that never became a Bruce Lee Museum

There could’ve a museum in Hong Kong too, only the plan was scrapped. Before his death, Bruce Lee lived for a while at a house on 41 Cumberland Road, in the city’s Kowloon Tong district.
In 2008, real estate billionaire Yu Panglin, who had bought the house in 1974, agreed to donate the property, affectionately known as The Crane’s Nest by the Lee family, to the government. Over the years it had become a motel frequented by couples. The move was hailed by the Hong Kong tourism board, Reuters reported at the time, and the government launched a competition asking people to submit their ideas for restoring the home.
But by 2011, the government abandoned the effort after it failed to agree on the terms of the donation with Yu. The businessman’s demands to expand the floor space in order to build a larger museum would have breached land regulations.
Instead, the government put its efforts towards the exhibition staged at the Heritage Museum instead as a form of compensation to the people of Hong Kong.
Wong Yiu-keung, chairman and founder of the fan group the Bruce Lee Club established in 2000 said Hong Kong should now revisit the original museum plan. “I’m sure most people in Hong Kong would agree that we should have a museum dedicated to Bruce Lee,” he said, calling it “long overdue.”
But that looks harder than ever, at least at the Crane’s Nest site, after Yu died in 2015. Since then, Yu’s family has been embroiled in a legal dispute over the ownership of his estates.

A D-I-Y Bruce Lee experience

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Robert Lee, younger brother of martial art icon Bruce Lee and honorary president of the Bruce Lee Club, in front of a statue of his famous sibling on the Kowloon waterfront.

Meanwhile, another option has vanished. The Bruce Lee Club used to run a small shop offering memorabilia and souvenirs in Yau Ma Tei district as a treat for fans visiting from overseas. But the shop closed last September due to skyrocketing rent.
“This is really pathetic,” said Wong. “Perhaps after the end of the exhibition, the only place fans can go is the bronze statue in Tsim Sha Tsui.”
The statue, funded by the fan club and modeled after a pose from the classic Fist of Fury, was erected near the Tsim Sha Tsui harbor in 2005. It was moved to the nearby Garden of Stars in 2015 due to construction work on the original site.
For now, visitors to Hong Kong looking for Bruce Lee better follow the example of die-hard fans who curate their own experiences.
“The Bruce Lee Way,” a walking trail planned by the Bruce Lee Club, highlights six locations connected to the legacy of the late star.
These include the La Salle Primary School and St. Francis Xavier’s College—the two schools he attended; a toilet in West Kowloon where Lee’s skills were first recognized when a teacher caught him fighting inside; Ocean Terminal, where a set of photos of Lee were taken for film studio Golden Harvest; Tsing Shan Monastery, where Enter The Dragon was shot; and Tsim Sha Tsui’s Bruce Lee statue.
Fans can also explore Kom Tong Hall, in the city’s Mid-Levels area, once owned by a prominent businessman who was a manager at opium-and-tea trading firm Jardines as well as being Bruce Lee’s grandfather, or take a few cues from the web site Bruce Lee Was Here. But as for the home he lived at when he was very young, the Katherine Building on Nathan Road, the Prudential Centre apparently now stands on its former site.
Wong, of the fan club, said the government should negotiate with the heirs to the Crane’s Nest, which is at risk of being sold to a developer who might demolish the home.
“We should learn our lessons and figure out a permanent plan that can keep Bruce Lee’s legacy alive in Hong Kong,” said Wong.

'a toilet in West Kowloon'? srsly?

[GeneChing]

Someday I really should go to pay my respects.


Bruce Lee fans pay respects at Seattle gravesite (http://komonews.com/news/local/bruce-lee-fans-pay-respects-at-seattle-gravesite)
by Ryan Yamamoto Thursday, July 20th 2017

This week, hundreds of fans will pay their respects at the graves of Bruce Lee and his son, Brandon. Bruce Lee died 44 years ago, on July 20, 1973, at the age of 32. (Photo: KOMO News)

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SEATTLE -- Even in death, Bruce Lee’s life continues to have an impact.

This week, hundreds of his fans and followers will make the trip to Lake View Cemetery in Seattle to visit his and his son Brandon’s gravesite to pay their respects to the martial arts master.
“To be here at this time on the anniversary of his passing it feels really cool,” said Anthony Gazotti, who traveled from Colorado. “All energy here is amazing.”
Bruce Lee died 44 years ago, on July 20, 1973, at the age of 32.
Seventeen-year-old Russell Chow traveled with his family from Los Angeles. He began studying Lee’s martial arts system of “Jeet Kune Do” at the age of 5.
“He is just a big part of my life,” said Chow. “He is the guy who taught all the teachers that taught my teacher. He is the originator of all the martial arts I have ever done.”
At the Wing Luke Museum, the “Bruce Lee” exhibit has been on display since 2014. The current exhibition will be extended to February of 2018, and a new exhibition will open in March of 2018 that will focus entirely on his connection to Seattle.
“I think the majority of people connect to his movies, but I think when they come to museum they understand there is much more to this guy than just an action flick,” said Lee historian, Rahul Gupta.
Gupta says many people who follow Lee become fascinated with master’s philosophy, artwork and poetry—including his relationship with the Seattle area.
“He connected with the variety you see in nature that you see in the Puget Sound area,” said Gupta. “I think people gravitate to individuals who connect to the universe bigger than themselves.”
The Wing Luke Museum is at 719 S. King St. The Lake View Cemetery is at 1554 15th Ave. E.. It is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the summer.

[GeneChing]

http://www.sketchpadgallery.com/sites/default/files/styles/hp_slideshow/public/brucelee.jpg?itok=ussT67i1


BRUCE LEE: SPIRIT OF THE DRAGON (http://sketchpadgallery.com/event/bruce-lee-spirit-of-the-dragon)

Friday, November 3, 2017 - 18:00 to 21:00
The Bruce Lee Foundation and Sketchpad Gallery are proud to present "Spirit of the Dragon", a Bruce Lee tribute art show. Featuring local and international artists who have contributed to work from companies such as Marvel Comics, DC, IDW, Lucasfilm, Pixar, Sony and others, this exhibition will showcase their interpretations of Bruce Lee and his teachings.

Featuring art by:
JungGi Kim, Hyun Jin Kim, Nathan Anderson, Bagger43, John-Paul Balmet, Arvin Bautista, Jamie Borja, Dawn Carlos, Cryssy Cheung, Isaac Davis, Thomas Denmark, Jackson Dryden, Duke Duel, Emonic, Nikki Lukas Longfish, Dela Longfish, Steward Lee, Justin Bruce Lee, Ben Jelter, Kevin Kwong, Frank T Lin, Brian Kistler, Robotnicc, Benjamin Seto, Dean Stuart, Lloyd Thompson, Dave Yee, Carolina Zeleski, Jeeyoon Park, Le Tang, Chris Koehler, Gary Zhu, Chris Carman, and more!

Proceeds will benefit the Bruce Lee Foundation, which provides student scholarships as well as martial arts training to at-risk and underprivileged youth.

RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/382359355513912

Aw man, I should check this out. It's about three blocks from where I used to work in SOMA. I wish I had known because I was in SF last Friday and I'm not sure I'll be back before it closes. I'm scheduled to be in SF next Thursday, and not too far from there, but I'm on a schedule so I'm not sure if I'll have the luxury to check it out.

Also I could've sworn I already split 62 posts above into an independent Bruce Lee Museums and Gallery Exhibits (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70543-Bruce-Lee-Museums-and-Gallery-Exhibits) thread from the Bruce Lee Memorials (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?42950-Bruce-Lee-Memorials) thread. But I can't find it so maybe it's just something I've thought about doing for a while and finally got around to it.

[GeneChing]

These must be doing quite well for the museum. It's become a regular fixture of rotating Bruce Lee exhibits in this series.


A Dragon Lives Here (http://www.wingluke.org/brucelee)

Day in the Life of Bruce Lee: Do You Know Bruce? Part 3 exhibit is now closed.

Stayed tuned for an all-new Part 4 - opening March 10 - created in partnership with the Bruce Lee Foundation and with the generous support of sponsors, donors and partners.

Building on our popular Bruce Lee exhibit series, A Dragon Lives Here hones in on Bruce Lee’s Seattle roots and the fact that Seattle, now known as a city for innovation, technology, and entrepreneurs, also played a key role in shaping Bruce Lee and his groundbreaking approach.

[GeneChing]

Lee home features in $10b charity court win (http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=193570)
Top News | Phoebe Ng 9 Mar 2018

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/newsImage/20180309/50007917contentPhoto1.jpg

The High Court has validated the will of late billionaire Yu Pengnian, who owned the Kowloon Tong house where martial arts icon Bruce Lee once resided, meaning his fortune estimated at HK$10 billion will be donated to charity.

Judge David Lok said the probate action reflected the "goodness in humanity" as none of his heirs now contested the will.

But it remained unclear if Lee's one-time home in Cumberland Road home will become a museum dedicated to the star, who died there suddenly from a cerebal edema on July 20, 1983, at the age of 32.

The decision rests with Yu's grandson and the sole trustee Pang Chi-ping.

The mainland-born philanthropist, who died at the age of 93 in 2015, wanted to donate the house to the government to make into a Bruce Li museum, but talks to that end broke down.

Yu then made several unsuccessful attempts to sell the property.

The judge said probate actions are unlike other cases and often "unveil the ugliness of humanity."

He went on: "I often see relatives and families squabble over wealth. Siblings no longer talk to each other. Although I cannot really describe a person's death as something joyous I am happy to deal with a case like this."

Yu made it known in 2010 he wanted to donate all of wealth to charity and made a will to that effect on July 21, 2011, with his grandson Pang as sole executor.

Except for valuables kept in two safe boxes for his other grandsons, Yu stated in his will everything would go to the Yu Pengnian Charity Foundation.

After Yu's death, Pang Chi-pang, sole trustee of the Yu Panglin Charitable Trust, asked the High Court to declare the will made in 2011 to be the tycoon's final one and to override two caveats raised by his son Pang Ah-fan and grandson Pang San-hon.

But those two family members later declared they would not challenge the will.

The secretary for justice was also listed as a defendant as the case involved a charity.

The judge yesterday formally validated the document and ordered its execution in full.

Lok also said there was no doubt about the document as he believed Yu had the mental capacity to make the will and fully understood its contents.

He also ordered HK$1.85 million will be deducted from Yu's wealth for legal fees.

"It is essential spending and the amount was fairly reasonable," the judge said.

Yu, born in Hunan province, arrived in Hong Kong in the 1950s and eventually became a hotelier and real estate tycoon.

He was also known for making frequent and generous donations to good causes.

Bruce Lee's home in Kowloon Tong, or "Nine Dragon's Pond," was bought by Yu Panglin in 1974. It then became a "love hotel," whereby rooms were rented by the hour to amorous couples who want to keep their trysts discreet.

Years before Yu's death in May 2015 he tried to work with the government and to donate hand over the house to become a Bruce Lee museum.

After that plan fell through in 2011 Yu tried to sell the property but in vain.

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum subsequently unveiled a Bruce Lee exhibition.

"Bruce Li museum"? :rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

When Bruce Lee was an unknown, everyday guy (http://kuow.org/post/when-bruce-lee-was-unknown-everyday-guy)
By RUBY DE LUNA • MAR 16, 2018

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Bruce Lee spent formative years in Seattle. He attended the University of Washington from 1961 to 1964, majoring in philosophy. Behind him is Lake Washington, the subject of many of his poems.
COURTESY OF WING LUKE MUSEUM/® & © BRUCE LEE ENTERPRISES, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Before he was a martial arts icon, Bruce Lee was a poet, philosopher and fledgling instructor in Seattle.

Now there’s an exhibit at the Wing Luke Museum that focuses on that time in his life.

Some of the memorabilia comes from a local collector who was inspired after meeting Lee.

Perry Lee (no relation to Bruce) remembers the first time he met Bruce Lee. It was 1964, and he was a sop****re at Franklin High. Back then, Bruce Lee was an unknown — an everyday guy who was into martial arts and had been invited to do a demonstration at the school assembly.

“He asked for the toughest person to come down,” Lee said.

The student who volunteered took boxing classes. Bruce asked the student to throw some punches, and Perry said what Bruce did next amazed him.

“I never saw anybody that was that powerful that could move fast, spontaneous, cat-like and so fluid,” he said. “Here he was, sparring with some of the best fighters in high school … blocking their punches, throwing them into the ground. It blew me away.”

And there was something else that Perry felt at that moment.

“It made me proud,” he said. “It made me proud because it was really the first positive image I saw of an Asian person. Like, wow. You know, back in the ‘60s, a lot of Asians were considered nerds or more academic than into the athletic field.”

The demonstration at Franklin High was one of several Bruce Lee did during his time in Seattle.

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Outside of Ruby Chow’s Restaurant near Broadway and Minor.
CREDIT COURTESY OF WING LUKE MUSEUM/® & © BRUCE LEE ENTERPRISES, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

“Seattle was really a formative time in his life,” said Cassie Chinn, exhibit lead of the "A Dragon Lives Here" exhibit at the Wing Luke Museum. She said it’s the Bruce Lee that most people don’t know.

“It was a time where he dreamt his dreams and started to bring them to reality," she said. "So we get to dive in deep in regards to, what does Seattle mean to him? How did it lay the foundation for where he would go?”

Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco and grew up in Hong Kong. But Seattle was where he grew into a young adult. He was 19 years old when he came here and took classes at Seattle Central College. He later transferred to University of Washington, where he studied philosophy and met his wife.

“One of his favorite places to go was Lake Washington," Chinn said. "We have a number of poems that Bruce wrote related to Lake Washington especially."

He liked Lake Washington partly because it reminded him of the waters of Hong Kong.

“You can connect the waters of Hong Kong and the waters of Lake Washington,” she said. “There was a familiarity there. But also it was an integral place for him to think of his philosophy. One of his famous quotes is, be like water.”

Bruce Lee’s time in South Seattle was short, but it created a foundation for how he lived and taught. He was inclusive, teaching martial arts to anyone who wanted to learn.

Bruce Lee later moved to California, taking part in competitions and opening another martial arts studio. It was around that time that he was discovered by Hollywood and was invited to play Kato, the sidekick of Green Hornet.

Perry Lee followed Bruce Lee’s career. He also started collecting things associated with him, including magazines and action figures (especially those from the Green Hornet era).

“He exploded in the small screen,” he said. “His popularity just went through the roof … so they started putting [out] all these toys to appeal to all the young people.”

So, how many items are in his collection?

“Thousands,” he said. Enough to fill up two rooms of his house. And there are more in boxes.

He admitted it’s way too much.

“Collectors, we just like to keep collecting," he said. "It’s hard to break out of that mold. Until our wives get mad at us. I don’t know if I should be saying this, but I have to hide a lot from my wife," he said tongue-in-cheek.

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Bruce Lee and his future wife, Linda Lee, in Seattle.
CREDIT COURTESY OF WING LUKE MUSEUM/® & © BRUCE LEE ENTERPRISES, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Perry Lee loaned many parts of his collection to the Wing Luke exhibit. He said Bruce Lee still has special meaning for him today, even after his untimely death in 1973.

“I think it still holds true what’s been said about Bruce through the decades; he brought people together,” Perry Lee said. “Whether you were black, white or Mexican, everybody loved Bruce … To this very day he inspired people through his philosophy.”

Perry Lee recalls the first time he met Bruce Lee at Franklin High School

In case you're wondering what some of that early Bruce Lee poetry was like, here's a look.

Walking along the bank of Lake Washington | Bruce Lee, 1963

The breeze on the bank

Already blows cool and mild;

The distant merging of lake and sky

Is but a red trace of sunset.

The deep silence of the lake

Cuts off all tumult from me.

Along the lonely bank

I move with slow footstep:

Alone the disturbed frogs scurry off.

Here and there are houses,

Cool beads of light spring out from them.

A dazzling moon

Shines down from the lonely depths of the sky.

In the moonlight slowly I move to a Gung Fu Form.

Body and soul are fused into one.

There's audio files embedded behind the link.

[@PLUGO]

Bruce Lee: The Walk of the Dragon #1
STORY BY: Jeff Kline, Nicole Dubuc, and Shannon Lee
ART BY: Brandon McKinney and Zac Atkinson
COVER BY: John Haun
PUBLISHER: Darby Pop Publishing
10528
10529
10530
10531


. . . ouch.

[GeneChing]

I was just doing some research putting together an obituary for GM Allen Joe (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70751-RIP-GM-Allen-Joe) and realized that the Bruce Lee: A Retrospective exhibit at the SF Chinese Cultural Center in 2000 was never included in this thread. Better late than never - that may have well been one of the very first such museum exhibits on Bruce - plus I published an article on it back then. Read Honoring Bruce (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/index.php?p=article&article=280).

http://www.kungfumagazine.com/images/ezine/LeePoster.gif

[GeneChing]

Matt Polly's new book, Bruce Lee: A Life (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65795-Bruce-Lee-A-Life-by-Matt-Polly) has been generating a lot of Bruce news lately. I've heard the bad feng shui (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?9565-Feng-Shui) thing about his Cumberland place (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70543-Bruce-Lee-Museums-and-Gallery-Exhibits). I prefer the 'assassinated by ninjas' theory.


Did bad feng shui kill Bruce Lee? Talk continues to this day that it played a part in actor’s death (https://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2153615/did-bad-feng-shui-kill-bruce-lee-talk-continues-day-it-played-part)
Forty-five years after he died, there is still speculation that the martial arts superstar died because of a curse, with Lee’s home at 41 Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong, long rumoured to have suffered from bad feng shui theory about his
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 04 July, 2018, 7:04am
UPDATED : Wednesday, 04 July, 2018, 7:03am
Staff Reporter

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According to a new biography, the Chinese icon also had English and Dutch-Jewish blood, and as an action star admired the whole world over he would have felt at home today

There’s still speculation that Bruce Lee died because of a curse. But according to the Post publication Memoirs of an Asian Moviegoer, the word at the time was that he was a victim of bad feng shui.

Quoting an article published a week after Lee’s death on July 20, 1973, the book says: “Lee’s sudden and untimely death last Friday immediately led a neighbour to say that he knew something bad was in the offing because a tree in the star’s home at Kowloon Tong was blown down by Typhoon Dot. [Typhoon Dot struck Hong Kong in July 1973, causing storm force winds and killing one person]. This, the neighbour claimed was a bad omen resulting in the death of Lee.”

Feng shui is a supernatural belief that the spatial arrangement of objects can have favourable or unfavourable effects on nearby people, their wealth or poverty, health and death. When moving into a new apartment, a geomancer is hired to arrange furniture so that the feng shui is benign, and architects sometimes consult geomancers while designing buildings.

Location can also play a role, with some areas being deemed to have bad feng shui. Kowloon Tong, where Lee lived at 41 Cumberland Road, was rumoured to have bad feng shui. (Lee did not die in Cumberland Road, but in the flat of actress Betty Ting Pei, at nearby 67 Beacon Hill Road.)

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A neon sign shines outside the Romantic Hotel occupying the house where Lee lived in Kowloon Tong. Photo: Antony Dickson

“The Chinese press said that Bruce Lee knew about the bad feng shui prevailing in the area and he installed a feng shui deflector on the roof of his home in Cumberland Road,” the book says, quoting the same article. “This deflector, a pat kwe [bagua] – an octagon-shaped wooden frame with a mirror in the centre – was found missing after Typhoon Dot lashed Hong Kong. In the absence of it, Bruce Lee became vulnerable, some say. So the story goes that if he had lived elsewhere, Bruce Lee would have lived longer.”

Other reports suggest that Lee’s friends Unicorn Chan and Wu Ngan set up the deflector, as they had arranged for a geomancer to examine the property before Lee moved in. Lee himself was apparently not superstitious, but he didn’t object.

It was also rumoured that Lee’s choice of The Game of Death as the title of his next film was responsible for his death. “The Chinese press reported that film director Lo Wei [who directed Lee in The Big Boss and Fist of Fury] had warned him about the film’s name, which he said should be carefully chosen,” the book says, quoting the article.

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Lee’s picture in a funeral parlour after his death. Photo: SCMP

Lee died of a cerebral oedema, although what brought that on has never been confirmed, and speculation has run rife since. The coroner’s inquest said that it may have been an allergic reaction to aspirin, and recorded a verdict of death by misadventure. In his biography Bruce Lee: A Life, Matthew Polly speculates that the cause of death might have been heatstroke.

In a television interview, Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan, who worked as a stuntman on the set of Lee’s Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon, said that the notion of any supernatural causes behind Lee’s death was ridiculous. “Everyone in Hong Kong knows what happened,” he said. “I don’t want to say it, but just Google it.”

[GeneChing]

Too bad. I would've visited a museum.


Bruce Lee’s Hong Kong mansion to become Chinese studies centre (https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2173803/bruce-lees-hong-kong-mansion-become-chinese-studies-centre)
Charitable trust which owns the Kowloon Tong property to renovate it and use it to teach Mandarin and music
PUBLISHED : Monday, 19 November, 2018, 9:05am
UPDATED : Monday, 19 November, 2018, 9:05am
Gary Cheung
gary.cheung@scmp.com
http://twitter.com/garykwcheung

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The former Hong Kong mansion of kung fu legend Bruce Lee will become a centre for Chinese studies next year to offer courses on Mandarin and music.

The sole trustee of the charitable trust which owns it – founded by late billionaire philanthropist Yu Pang-lin – said it would keep the external structure of the mansion at 41 Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong, intact after a renovation.

Pang Chi-ping, also Yu’s grandson, said: “We will convert the mansion into a centre for Chinese studies next year, which provides courses like Mandarin and Chinese music for children.”

He said renovation work on the 5,699 sq ft property, which had recently fallen into disrepair, would start soon after the Lunar New Year and classes were expected to begin in September next year. About 400 children, from kindergarten to secondary school, will be trained at the centre every year.

He added: “We will keep the mosaic, which was left by Bruce Lee, on the back of the wall surrounding the mansion.”

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Pang Chi-ping said renovation work on the property, which has fallen into disrepair, would start after the Lunar New Year. Photo: Nora Tam

The centre may also offer classes on martial arts in future. But Pang said the trust would not use Lee’s name on publicity for the renovated site because they did not possess the late kung fu legend’s image rights.

US-born Lee, who lived in Hong Kong as a child before returning to the US aged 18, taught martial arts and starred in many martial arts films. He spent his last years with his family in the Kowloon Tong mansion before his death on July 20, 1973, at the age of 32.

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“I asked the court to validate my grandfather’s will to show filial piety to him”: Pang Chi-ping. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Yu Pang-lin, who bought the house in the early 1970s for about HK$1 million, planned to sell it in 2008 to raise funds for victims of the Sichuan earthquake that year. But he scrapped the idea when fans urged him to restore and preserve the property, affectionately known by Lee as the Crane’s Nest. At that time the house was being used as a short-stay love hotel.

The trust, which has assets estimated at HK$10 billion (US$1.28 billion), is also considering donations to Hong Kong’s universities for scholarships and cash help for students from poor families.

“We will also consider extending the scope of subsidies to secondary and primary school pupils in future,” Pang said.

He said the trust would launch projects targeting needy people, after finalising the legal formalities for his grandfather’s estate by the end of this year.

The trust will launch its first initiative next month by giving out 60,000 packages containing biscuits, towels and umbrellas to the elderly and needy families in Wan Chai. The initiative will cost HK$3 million.

Yu died in 2015 of an undisclosed illness in Shenzhen, mainland China, at the age of 92.

Raymond Chow, film producer who brought world Bruce Lee, dies at 91

That year, Pang asked the High Court to declare the will Yu made on July 21, 2011, giving his entire estate to charity, the “true last and final will”.

He also asked the court to override two caveats raised by Yu’s son Pang Ah-fan and grandson Pang San-hon.

In March, the High Court validated the will. The judge said the case illustrated “the better part of human personality”.

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Yu Pang-lin died in 2015 in Shenzhen, at the age of 92. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Yu, a Hunan province native, moved to Hong Kong in 1958 and once worked as a toilet cleaner before making a fortune in the hotel and property business. He was named one of the world’s top 14 philanthropists by Time magazine.

“My grandfather had pledged to donate his full estate to charity. He would be seen as a cheat if his will is not implemented,” Pang Chi-ping said. “I asked the court to validate my grandfather’s will to show filial piety to him.”

[GeneChing]

A facelift would be a waste of historic resource. Restoration is in order.


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A file photo shows people placing flowers at the Bruce Lee statue on the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Shui. Photo: HK Govt

Home Hong Kong Local
Vincent Wong Wing
Dec 6, 2018 6:10pm
How to put Bruce Lee’s former home to best use (http://www.ejinsight.com/20181206-how-to-put-bruce-lees-former-home-to-best-use/)

November 27 marked the 78th birth anniversary of the late Hong Kong kung-fu legend Bruce Lee Siu-lung.

Peng Zhibing, a grandson of the late philanthropist Yu Pengnian and director-general of the Yu Pengnian Charitable Foundation, which currently owns Lee’s former home in Kowloon Tong, recently gave an interview to HKEJ in which he vowed, just as his grandfather did, that he would never sell the mansion.

Meanwhile, Peng unveiled a plan to restore Lee’s home and turn it into a center for sinological studies, where Putonghua, radio broadcasting and Chinese musical instrument classes will reportedly be offered.

However, the plan has raised concerns as to whether the project would become politicized.

In particular, if carried out not carefully enough, Peng’s plan to restore Lee’s former home might end up being misunderstood by the public as a deceptive stunt to use the iconic premises to promote Putonghua, or even national education propaganda.

According to some of the details of Peng’s proposal, it appears he is planning to give the mansion a complete facelift, after which only an original wall painting picture will be preserved.

That means once the restoration project is completed, Lee’s house may not be recognizable at all, I believe.

In my view, the best way to prevent the project from becoming a well-intended flop is for Peng to take the lead in forming an advisory board on conserving Lee’s former home.

There need not be too many members on the advisory board, but the body itself must be broadly representative and have common touch, i.e. there must be local well-versed Bruce Lee fans on the board, while government officials or prominent public figures should take a backseat.

As far as the direction of how to conserve the mansion is concerned, the premises don’t intentionally have to be turned into a center for Chinese studies.

The highest principle would be that the project would strive to preserve as many original features of Lee’s home as possible, in order to debunk any conspiracy theory that there is a hidden agenda behind the plan.

In my opinion, it would be the best outcome if Lee’s home can be turned into a museum tea house run in the model of a social enterprise, where Bruce Lee memorabilia, books, etc collected from around the world will be on exhibition.

If this happens, the museum will become the undisputed holy land for Bruce Lee fans across the globe.

This article appeared in the Hong Kong Economic Journal on Dec 5

Translation by Alan Lee

[GeneChing]

$500M HK crowdfunding? I think HK is too busy right now (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?23536-Hong-kong-protests). :(



Bruce Lee fan club appeals to Hong Kong government to save kung fu legend’s former mansion at Kowloon Tong, which is soon to be demolished (https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3019386/bruce-lee-fan-club-appeals-hong-kong-government-save-kung-fu)
Bruce Lee Club wants to restore disused building and turn it into a museum devoted to the star, who died in 1973
House on Cumberland Road set to become Chinese studies centre but owner has no objection to government preserving it
Athena Chan
Published: 9:22pm, 19 Jul, 2019

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Bruce Lee’s former mansion faces the wrecking ball but fans want to save it and keep it as a museum. Photo: Felix Wong

With Bruce Lee’s former Hong Kong mansion set to be torn down to make way for a Chinese studies centre in two weeks’ time, a fan club of the late kung fu legend has launched an international petition to urge the government to preserve the home, with the owner of the building offering no objection.
Wong Yiu-keung, chairman of the Bruce Lee Club, said at a press conference on Friday: “The building symbolises our collective memory of Bruce Lee, which should be treasured by Hong Kong people and the world. I hope the Hong Kong government will preserve the trace of this influential actor, martial artist and philosopher.”
If the government does not listen to the voice of the fans, the club said it would also consider crowdfunding the money to buy the site, which is where the martial arts master spent his last years with his family.
The club estimated that restoring the 5,699 sq ft property to how it looked when Lee lived there would cost around HK$100 million (US$12.8 million), while the estimated price of the site would be from HK$300 million to HK$400 million.
“I won’t say [crowdfunding] HK$500 million would be impossible, but I’m not very confident about it happening at short notice.”
The block at 41 Cumberland Road in Kowloon Tong is owned by the Yu Panglin Charitable Trust, founded by billionaire philanthropist Yu Pang-lin, who died in 2015.

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Wong Yiu-keung, chairman of the Bruce Lee Club, says he wants the mansion to become a museum. Photo: Felix Wong

Last week, the trust told the Post it would begin demolishing the house in two weeks to make way for a Chinese studies centre, marking a change of heart by the trust, which had pledged to keep the property intact and improve it. It cited a consultant’s appraisal to justify the rethink, saying structural problems with the building made it difficult to maintain it.

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The building at 41 Cumberland Road in Kowloon Tong is owned by the Yu Panglin Charitable Trust, founded by billionaire philanthropist Yu Pang-lin, who died in 2015. Photo: Felix Wong

In the online petition, the fan club suggested preserving the residence as a “Bruce Lee Memorial Hall”, as a unique international tourist attraction, an idea first raised by Wong in 2008 which met with no response.
Joey Lee Man-lung, vice-chairman of the charitable trust, said on Friday that he agreed with the fan club’s demands of the government to preserve the building as two generations of Yu’s family had also made the same call.
“The wish of the Bruce Lee Club was once ours, so we are not against the club’s raising the preservation request,” Lee said. “If the government responds positively, we would like to sit down and discuss any better suggestions.”
But the Development Bureau said on Friday it did not receive a preservation proposal from the building owner.
Yu Pang-lin bought the house in 1974 for about HK$1 million. At one point, according to historians, the building was used as a short-stay love hotel.
Yu had planned to sell it in 2008 to raise funds for victims of the Sichuan earthquake, but he dropped the idea when fans urged him to preserve the property and restore it.
The same year, Yu Pang-lin offered to donate the property to the government to turn it into a Bruce Lee museum. But after a two-year discussion, the plan was abandoned as they did not reach an agreement on Yu’s request to raise the maximum floor space allowed for the plot.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Fans of Bruce Lee take fight to save mansion global

[GeneChing]

HONG KONG
Hong Kong’s Bruce Lee: Kung Fu, Art, Life exhibition helps dispel Chinese stereotypes (https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article-hong-kongs-bruce-lee-kung-fu-art-life-exhibition-helps-dispel/)
PETER NOWAK
HONG KONG
SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL
PUBLISHED 19 HOURS AGO
UPDATED AUGUST 6, 2019

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Chinese actor Bruce Lee's legacy is enshrined at the Hong Kong Museum, tucked away from the city’s touristy hustle in quieter Tai Wai.

HANDOUT

Bruce Lee was a world-famous martial artist and actor, but to at least one fan, he was much more.

"He was the first person I heard say, ‘I’m proud to be Chinese,’” Jeff Chinn, a San Francisco-based collector of Bruce Lee memorabilia, says in a looping video documentary at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. “That made me proud.”

The actor’s legacy is enshrined at the museum, tucked away from the city’s touristy hustle in quieter Tai Wai. Comprising 850 square metres on the cavernous building’s second floor, the Bruce Lee: Kung Fu, Art, Life exhibit showcases his life and accomplishments through memorabilia, photos, videos and writings.

Lee was Hong Kong’s – and therefore China’s – first global star, breaking through as the kung-fu-fighting sidekick Kato on the 1960s TV show The Green Hornet before becoming a sensation in the 1970s through hit films such as The Big Boss, Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon.

The success of the movies – driven by his fighting prowess and powerful charisma – launched the martial arts genre and supercharged the Hong Kong film industry. Many credit Lee, who died in 1973 from what is believed to be overexertion, with paving the way for Asian actors in Hollywood and thus allowing the likes of Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Donnie Yen to become stars in their own rights.

As Chinn – who has contributed more than 200 items to the exhibit – puts it, he also helped dispel Chinese stereotypes and uplift a generation of fans. The exhibit is thus a can’t-miss for aficionados of the genre and of Asian entertainment in general.

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The Bruce Lee: Kung Fu, Art, Life exhibit showcases his life and accomplishments through memorabilia, photos, videos and writings.

HANDOUT

Aside from Lee’s workout equipment, movie posters and the famous yellow jumpsuit he wore in the 1972 film Game of Death, the exhibit also houses his personal notes and letters to his wife, Linda.

In those materials, he muses on a variety of subjects such as the proper way to dance the cha-cha and how much he missed Linda while on location, like when he was in Thailand filming The Big Boss (1971) or in Switzerland giving self defence lessons to director Roman Polanski.

The exhibit opened in 2013 and was supposed to run till 2018, but it has proved popular with more than 600,000 annual visitors, prompting an extension till at least next July (2020).

Still, the temporary nature of the exhibit – as well as Hong Kong’s overall reluctance to honour its martial arts film heritage – is exasperating to fans and historians alike.

For years, the city refused to fund even a statue to honour Lee. A 2.5-metre bronze monument is now part of the recently reopened harbourside Avenue of Stars, but only because a local fan club raised the necessary funding in 2005.

Despite that, Hong Kong was still ignominiously beaten to the honour by Mostar, a town in Bosnia of all places, where a statue was erected a few months before.

Ricardo Mak King-sang, director of the Advanced Institute for Contemporary China Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University and the author of a history of martial arts in the city, says there has been talk of turning Lee’s former house in Hong Kong into a permanent museum, but a tangible plan has yet to materialize.

“This is incomprehensible,” he says. “The whole idea has not worked and nobody knows why.”

A spokesperson for the Hong Kong Heritage Museum says the organization has been in contact with the Bruce Lee Foundation, the Los Angeles-based charity that promotes the actor’s image, about making the exhibit permanent, but she did not elaborate on details.

The Avenue of Stars, which reopened in January as part of a US$2.6 billion makeover of the Tsim Sha Tsui harbour-side area, does hold some appeal for fans of martial arts films. Aside from Lee’s statue, the 457-metre promenade mirrors Hollywood’s Walk of Fame with handprints and embossed signatures from Hong Kong’s film luminaries.

Jackie Chan is represented, as are other actors including Sammo Hung and Stephen Chow. Raymond Chow and Leonard Ho, producers and founders of Golden Harvest, the studio that churned out kung fu hits in the 1970s and 1980s, are also memorialized with plaques.

Aside from martial arts stars, the Avenue of Stars also pays tribute to other Hong Kong film greats, such as actress Anita Mui and Wong Kar-wai, director of films such as In the Mood for Love and Chungking Express.

Martial arts fans may also be interested in attending a performance at the Xiqu Centre, the US$346 million venue devoted to Chinese opera that also opened in January. Bruce’s father Lee Hoi-chuen and Jackie Chan were both performers in Chinese opera, which requires actors to move with martial-arts precision.

Kung fu aficionados can also take a class with Master Sam Lau in Kowloon. Now 72, Lau learned the art of Wing Chun under Yip Man, the same instructor who taught Lee and who has since been popularized in films starring Donnie Chen.

Lau also laments the lack of local emphasis on Hong Kong’s martial arts legacy. Most of the interest in its history these days is from foreigners.

“It’s regrettable that they don’t pay much attention to it.” he says.

Interesting in context of the HK protests now (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?23536-Hong-kong-protests&p=1314448#post1314448).

[GeneChing]

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/og_twitter_inkstone_generic/public/d8/images/2019/09/24/img_8249.jpg?itok=WOjUBxJF&amp;v=1569310199

Bruce Lee’s last home is being demolished (https://www.inkstonenews.com/arts/bruce-lees-last-home-being-demolished-despite-opposition-fans/article/3030108)
Photo: Inkstone/Viola Zhou
by Viola Zhou

The former Hong Kong mansion of Bruce Lee is now being torn down, despite calls from Lee’s fans to preserve the property known as “Crane’s Nest” as a museum.

The two-story, 5,700 square-foot townhouse, located in the upscale district of Kowloon Tong, was where the martial arts legend spent his final years. But it will soon be demolished to make way for a Chinese cultural studies center.

The demolition work kicked off on Tuesday. In the morning, the entrance to the compound was locked, while several construction workers worked around the main building, which was surrounded by bamboo scaffolds.

The owner of the property said the existing building had fallen into disrepair. But the decision still disappointed Lee’s fans, who have for years lobbied the Hong Kong government to turn the site into a museum to honor the late actor, who passed away in 1973 but still has a massive global following.

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/660w/public/d8/images/2019/09/24/bruce_lee_family.jpeg?itok=ZHz5VOpl
Bruce Lee, his wife Linda Lee Cadwell and son Brandon and daughter Shannon were pictured in the 1970s. Photo: Bruce Lee Foundation

“The former home of a superstar is finally turning into ashes, since the property owner and the government gave up on saving it,” the Bruce Lee Club, a Hong Kong-based fan group, posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday.

Born in San Francisco and raised in Hong Kong, Lee is one of Hong Kong’s most famous and universally adored cultural icons.

But besides a statue on the seafront, a waxwork at Madame Tussaud’s and a temporary exhibition at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the city has few other tributes to Lee.

Some Hongkongers visited the mansion on its last day. Eleanor Xian, 50, said she came to take photos of the house for her family members, who were loyal fans of Lee.

“There’s nothing we can do,” Xian said. “Hong Kong’s land is too precious. It could only be used to make money, not for conservation.”

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/660x385/public/d8/images/2019/09/24/img_8247.jpg?itok=Qtp3USxX
The demolition work of Lee's former home kicked off on Tuesday. Photo: Inkstone/Viola Zhou

Lee lived in the house with his wife Linda and two children, Shannon and Brandon, after they moved to Hong Kong in 1971 in order to further his acting career.

After Lee died suddenly in 1973, his widow and children moved back to the US. The following year, Chinese businessman Yu Pang-lin, a toilet cleaner-turned-billionaire, bought the property for about HK$1 million or $127,000.

Many of Yu’s properties were rented by love hotel operators, earning him a moniker that he detested: “Love Hotel King.” The Lee house was also converted into a love hotel that charged guests by hour.

In 2010, Yu wanted to donate the place, worth millions of dollars, to the government to build a Bruce Lee museum, but the two sides failed to agree on a redevelopment plan.

https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/660x385/public/d8/images/2019/09/24/nora_tam.jpeg?itok=z87IySQJ
Lee's former home was pictured in November 2018. Photo: SCMP/Nora Tam

After Yu passed away in 2015, his entire estate, including the mansion, was donated to the Yu Panglin Charitable Trust.

The trust originally tried to renovate the house. But after assessing its condition, the trust estimated that repairs could cost $2.55 million, similar to the cost of demolishing the building and erecting a new one.

A new building, due to be finished next year, will house a Chinese studies center that teaches children subjects like Mandarin and Chinese music, according to the trust.


Viola Zhou
Viola is a multimedia producer at Inkstone. Previously, she wrote about Chinese politics for the South China Morning Post.

Sad to hear that after all that talk, nothing was accomplished.

[GeneChing]

Kung fu legend Bruce Lee’s former mansion demolished (https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/10/08/19/kung-fu-legend-bruce-lees-former-mansion-demolished)
Gary Cheung, South China Morning Post
Posted at Oct 08 2019 08:52 AM

https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/reuters/10/08/lee1.jpg
Born in the United States, Bruce Lee lived in his home in Kowloon Tong before his untimely death in 1973. Handout photo via South China Morning Post

Bruce Lee’s former home has been torn down despite a decade-long campaign by fans of the late kung fu legend to preserve the mansion.

Demolition work on the two-story building at 41 Cumberland Road in Kowloon Tong was finished on Sept. 28.

Only a mosaic left by Lee on the wall outside the mansion, and four window frames from the building that will be installed in the center for Chinese studies to be built on the original site, remains.

Joey Lee Man-lung, vice-chairman of the management committee of the Yu Panglin Charitable Trust which owned the house, said they regretted the failure to preserve the building after the trust did not receive any new proposals from the government to preserve the home.

In November last year, the trust said it planned to turn the house into a center for Chinese studies to offer courses on Mandarin and music.

In July, it was decided to demolish the mansion after structural problems were discovered that made maintaining the building unfeasible.

The appraisal of the consultant hired by the trust, carried out earlier this year, found that concrete spalling had deteriorated on a large number of reinforced concrete beams. The report described the condition of the concrete as “extremely bad”.

Based on the consultant’s assessment, Joey Lee estimated renovating and repairing the 5,699 sq ft property would cost about HK$20 million (US$2.55 million), similar to the cost of demolishing the building and erecting a new one.

The Yu Panglin Charitable Trust was founded by billionaire philanthropist Yu Pang-lin who died in 2015.

Joey Lee said the construction of the new building was expected to be completed by August next year.

Bruce Lee lived in Hong Kong as a child before returning to the United States, where he was born, at the age of 18. He taught martial arts and starred in many films, rising to global stardom.

He spent his last years with his family in the Kowloon Tong mansion before his sudden death on July 20, 1973, at the age of 32.

Yu bought the house in 1974 for about HK$1 million. At one point, according to historians, the house was used as a short-stay love hotel.

The billionaire had planned to sell it in 2008 to raise funds for victims of the Sichuan earthquake, but dropped the idea when fans urged him to preserve the property and restore it. Bruce Lee affectionately called the mansion The Crane’s Nest.

Yu had offered to donate the house to the government for it to be turned into a Bruce Lee museum. He asked the government to relax land usage restrictions and allow him to build two or three basement floors so the proposed museum could include a cinema, martial arts training center, library and exhibition hall.

But Yu and officials failed to reach an agreement and the plan was scrapped in 2011.

https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/reuters/10/08/lee2.jpg
Bruce Lee's former home on 41 Cumberland Road in Kowloon Tong has been demolished. Martin Chan, South China Morning Post

The Bruce Lee Club launched an international online petition in July to urge the government to preserve the kung fu legend’s former mansion.

Wong Yiu-keung, the club’s chairman, criticized the government for abandoning the plan to preserve the house, when there had been a good chance to reach a deal nearly 10 years ago.

“The government has let all Hongkongers and Lee’s fans around the world down,” Wong said.

“If you ask me how I feel about the demolition of Bruce Lee’s house, I would condemn this government.”

A spokesman for the Development Bureau said on Friday the building was not a graded historic building, and the bureau had not received any conservation proposals from the owner.

“We will explore suitable economic incentives to encourage owners to conserve their graded historic buildings,” the spokesman said. “The form of economic incentives will be considered on a case-by-case basis having regard to the circumstances of each individual case.”



Cumberland blues...:(

[GeneChing]

Bruce Lee's studio in L.A.'s Chinatown has reopened after 50 years (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/bruce-lee-s-studio-l-s-chinatown-has-reopened-after-n1070981)
“It's a landmark. The teaching, philosophy, and mindset of Bruce Lee have influenced people and martial arts around the world for decades," studio owner Eric Carr said.

https://media3.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2019_43/3066001/191023-bruce-lee-al-1410_e1c605f3c54a89e35b976e38cffc08af.fit-2000w.jpg
Bruce Lee on the set of "Enter the Dragon" in 1973.Sunset Boulevard / Corbis via Getty Images
Oct. 23, 2019, 2:07 PM PDT
By Kimmy Yam

Bruce Lee’s martial arts studio in Los Angeles’ Chinatown has been resurrected nearly 50 years after it shut its doors.

This past Sunday, martial artist Eric Carr reopened the place where the iconic Lee originally taught his students his personal style of Jeet Kune Do (JKD), which translates to “way of intercepting fist.”

Carr, whose teacher Jerry Poteet was one of Lee’s select, original students, told NBC News in a phone interview that he felt compelled to resurrect the studio to preserve the martial arts legend’s legacy and to continue Poteet’s mission.

“It's a landmark. The teaching, philosophy, and mindset of Bruce Lee have influenced people and martial arts around the world for decades,” Carr said. Poteet, who privately trained with Lee at both his house and studio and died in 2012, dedicated his life to keeping the art of JKD alive, Carr added.

"It was Jerry's wish for everyone he trained to carry the flame,” Carr said. “This was my small part in giving back and bringing the art home and accomplishing a dream on my own path.”

The studio had remained relatively vacant since 1969, aside from a stint as a dentist’s office. Though Lee, who died in 1973, had opened other studios in Seattle’s Chinatown, the L.A. location was his only one in the area. While there, he taught his fighting style and philosophy, one that’s rooted in the interception of an opponent’s technique or intent. The principles of simplicity, directness and freedom are also key to Jeet Kune Do.

Carr, who says he consulted Lee’s family in the reopening process, explained that he aims to pass the craft on to future generations in its pure form, offering one-on-one classes, seminars and children's classes.

“JKD is the life's work of Bruce Lee, and I want to offer an authentic experience and will stick to the essence of Jeet Kune Do, Bruce's methods and his philosophy, and personal training mindset and spirit,” he said.

Lee has remained a critical figure among Asian Americans and beyond because of his work in both martial arts and entertainment. He not only prompted a wave of martial arts-themed movies in Hollywood, but also served as an emblem of strength and power during a time when many Asian male actors were constrained to the stereotypical roles of threatening villains or sexless nerds.

For Carr, Lee is “proof of what’s possible in life, in the face of adversity,” which is why he personally felt it important the martial artist’s teachings remain alive.

“He has in many ways paved ways for humanity as well as martial artists. His study, exploration, path, message and philosophy, approach to unity and self expression, can be applied to any area of life, and he gives us examples and clues on how to accomplish whatever we put our energy towards,” Carr said.

Though the studio has been open for only a few days, Carr says it’s been well received with many potential students who are interested in training in authentic JKD while in Lee’s actual studio, just as others had decades ago.

“They want to be close to the man who has had such an influence in their lives,” he said, “and become a part of that history and live the experience.”

Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee’s daughter, did not return NBC News’ request for comment.

Carr has his advertising worked out, as long as Shannon doesn't shut him down.

[GeneChing]

https://www.californiamuseum.org/sites/main/files/imagecache/banner/main-images/camuseum_goldmountain_brucelee_web.png?1578529456
https://www.californiamuseum.org/sites/main/files/imagecache/banner/main-images/camuseum_goldmountain_chineseliondance_ca1920-1933_0.png?1578529792

GOLD MOUNTAIN: CHINESE CALIFORNIAN STORIES (https://www.californiamuseum.org/gold-mountain)
All-new signature exhibition opening January 26, 2020

Discover the history and contributions of Chinese Americans to California from the Gold Rush to the present day in “Gold Mountain: Chinese California Stories.”

This all-new signature exhibition explores how Chinese immigrants came to California in search of a better life, then stayed and helped to build the modern state. In so doing over the last 150 years, they triumphed over racism and other obstacles with ingenuity and perseverance.

In their stories, visitors will see the contributions that Californians of Chinese descent have made to our state’s economy, governance, and culture, and recognize the strength that comes from the state’s rich diversity.

I hope to make it over for this but I'm already scheduled for JAN 26. It's the day after CNY (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71622-2020-Year-of-the-Rat).

THREADS
Chinese-American Museums (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71652-Chinese-American-Museums)
Bruce Lee Museums and Gallery Exhibits (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70543-Bruce-Lee-Museums-and-Gallery-Exhibits)

[GeneChing]

"We Are Bruce Lee" Exhibit at CHSA in SF Chinatown (Opening Fall 2021) (https://www.wearebrucelee.org/support)

BE DONORS, MY FRIENDS
Your donation helps the Chinese Historical Society of America create a major exhibition on the legacy of Bruce Lee to engage, teach and inspire visitors from around the world.

GIVE YOUR SUPPORT
Your donations are essential for the build out of the We Are Bruce Lee exhibit, development of related programs, marketing, and operations for the exhibit, which is expected to run for five years. Through their generosity, all of our exhibit team and advisors have devoted pro bono hours to develop this exhibit. The We Are Bruce Lee exhibit in San Francisco Chinatown is presented by the Chinese Historical Society of America, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization dedicated to promoting the history, culture and legacy of the Chinese in America. Your donations are tax deductible, CHSA Federal Tax ID 94-6122446.

Questions? Contact CHSA Interim Executive Director Pam Wong at pwong@chsa.org.



UPCOMING EVENTS
NOV
27
BIRTHDAY BLITZ (https://www.wearebrucelee.org/events)

In celebration of Bruce Lee’s 80th birthday on November 27, 2020, join us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the first sneak peek of the “We Are Bruce Lee” exhibition, including interviews and surprise guest appearances. Talk show personality Toan Lam hosts. To receive show updates and exhibit news, sign our mailing list.

Shannon Lee mentioned November 80th birthday celebrations (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70543-Bruce-Lee-Museums-and-Gallery-Exhibits) when I interviewed her for Warrior and her book Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71891-Be-Water-My-Friend-The-Teachings-of-Bruce-Lee)

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CybcKwIjxW0

This needs it's own thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72138-We-Are-Bruce-Lee-at-CHSA) independent of Bruce-Lee-Museums-and-Gallery-Exhibits (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70543-Bruce-Lee-Museums-and-Gallery-Exhibits)

[GeneChing]

SIGNIFICANT MOVIES AND MOVIEMAKERS:
BRUCE LEE (https://www.academymuseum.org/en/exhibitions/stories-of-cinema/soc2/significant-movies-and-moviemakers/bruce-lee)

https://images.ctfassets.net/m3qyzuwrf176/5IrCqidJSTeu8bt2SjbtZP/9e095016d138db9a8c42e61f3531fbfd/bruce-lee.jpg
Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon (Hong Kong/USA, 1973). Courtesy of Core Collection, Production Files, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) left behind a legacy that transcends generations, genres, and cultures. Lee got his start acting in Hong Kong as a child and began martial arts training at age 13. His first US role, as Kato on the 1960s television show The Green Hornet (1966–67), combined his acting and fighting skills. Fame did not immediately follow. After struggling to find work in Hollywood, Lee returned to Hong Kong and went on to achieve international stardom for martial arts films including The Way of the Dragon (Meng long guo jiang, Hong Kong, 1972)—which he wrote, directed, and coproduced—and Enter the Dragon (Hong Kong/USA, 1973). Despite his untimely death at the age of 32, Lee remains one of the most iconic performers of all time.

Significant Movies and Moviemakers: Bruce Lee considers the career of the multi-talented producer, actor, director, and martial artist through his own writings and through key objects from his filmography. Visitors encounter rare materials such as hand-drawn fight-scene choreography for an iconic moment in Enter the Dragon, as well as a more philosophical text written by Lee. Among other objects, the gallery also features a pair of nunchaku used by Lee as well as a costume from Enter the Dragon next to a fast-paced montage of famous fight scenes.

Special exhibit at the Academy of Motion Pictures Museum.

[GeneChing]

Bruce and the Academy - READ Jeff Chinn on the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Bruce Lee Exhibit (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1618) by Gene Ching

http://www.kungfumagazine.com//admin/site_images/KungfuMagazine/images/ezine/4459_Bruce-Lee-Academy_Lead.jpg

threads
Bruce-Lee-Museums-and-Gallery-Exhibits (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70543-Bruce-Lee-Museums-and-Gallery-Exhibits)
We-Are-Bruce-Lee-at-CHSA (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72138-We-Are-Bruce-Lee-at-CHSA)

[GeneChing]

The Return of the Dragon. READ Jeff Chinn on WE ARE BRUCE LEE: Under the Sky, One Family (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1634) by Gene Ching

http://www.kungfumagazine.com//admin/site_images/KungfuMagazine/images/ezine/1074_We-Are-Bruce-Lee_Lead.jpg

threads
Bruce-Lee-Museums-and-Gallery-Exhibits (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70543-Bruce-Lee-Museums-and-Gallery-Exhibits)
We-Are-Bruce-Lee-at-CHSA (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72138-We-Are-Bruce-Lee-at-CHSA)

[GeneChing]

Wing Luke Museum’s new Bruce Lee exhibit shows another side of the martial artist (https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/wing-luke-museums-new-bruce-lee-exhibit-shows-another-side-of-the-martial-artist/)
July 12, 2022 at 6:00 am Updated July 12, 2022 at 4:04 pm
https://images.seattletimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/07092022_8-brucelee_142624.jpg?d=2048x1311
1 of 8 | Shannon Lee leads a tour of the exhibit about her father, Bruce Lee, at the Wing Luke Museum. Titled “Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee,” it tells a story of his learnings, philosophical approaches and the symbolism of water. “As hard as he... (Alan Berner / The Seattle Times)

By Jayce Carral
Seattle Times staff reporter

Deep in grief after the sudden death of her brother, actor Brandon Lee, in 1993, Shannon Lee started flipping through her father’s writings — photocopied pages of book annotations stacked 2 feet high. She came by a note that she did not recognize, which was odd because she, along with a lot of other people, knew the majority of her father’s famous quotes — he was, after all, Bruce Lee.

“’The medicine for my suffering I had within me from the very beginning, but I did not take it,’ ” Shannon Lee recited from memory. “’My ailment came from within myself, but I did not observe it until this moment. Now I see, I will never find the light, unless like the candle, I am my own fuel.’ ”

The passage opened something in her, and she realized her suffering was not going to erase itself. Delving back into the knowledge her father left behind helped her cope. Within seven years, she said, she was the happiest she had ever been.

“As hard as he worked on his body, he worked on his mind and worked on his energy, and that is what made the difference,” she said. “That is why we’re still talking about Bruce Lee 50 years later.”

While he was most well-known for his movies and martial arts, Bruce Lee (1940-1973) was also strong in his own philosophy. After taking the helm of the Bruce Lee Foundation, Shannon Lee has made it her mission to tie her father’s image to his teachings as part of his legacy.

Seattle’s Wing Luke Museum, in partnership with the foundation, launched an interactive exhibit July 9 dedicated to Bruce Lee’s philosophy titled “Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee.” The exhibit, which is becoming a permanent part of the museum, is based on the martial artist’s 2,800-book collection. It opens with a glass cutout of his famous flying side kick embedded in a wall with books from his collection filling the image. Immersive storytellers Jessica Kantor and Eve Weston, the exhibit’s creative team, found knowledge in Bruce Lee’s work as they transposed the annotations hidden among his books into the exhibit’s works.

“He is a pioneer. He’s an entrepreneur. He’s an innovator. He’s an athlete. He’s an intellectual,” Weston said. “He’s incredibly hardworking and driven and thoughtful.”

The exhibit’s story is told on blue-colored walls. From his writing, Bruce Lee described losing his “theory of gentleness” once he entered a fight. He would remember the teachings from his only formal instructor, Yip Man, but was unable to put them it into practice. He spent an afternoon on a boat, realizing he wanted to be like water — going with his nature, instead of against it.

Between the story are stacks of books, black-and-white photos and a glass case of some of Bruce Lee’s possessions surrounded by plaques dedicated to his philosophy behind learning, known as the three stages of cultivation: partiality, fluidity and emptiness.

https://images.seattletimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/07052022_Bruce-Lee-Foundation-Archive_171843.jpg?d=1560x1086
1 of 3 | Bruce Lee meditates on a pier on Lake Washington. (Courtesy of the Bruce Lee Foundation)

The exhibit continues into a dimly lit room hosting three circles — representing the mind, body and spirit — on the floor with projected images of lily pads. When patrons stand on the lily pads, a bell will ring and a quote once highlighted by Bruce Lee will appear at their feet. Moments later, a screen in front of them will show photos, videos or more quotes. There are about 30 different pairings for the three circles.

https://images.seattletimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/07092022_7-brucelee_142620.jpg?d=1560x1086
The interactive exhibit displays quotes important to Bruce Lee when the visitor steps into the circle of “water.” (Alan Berner / The Seattle Times)

The exhibit ends with a large image of Bruce Lee accompanied by a quote written across the wall in a font designed after his handwriting.

Exhibiting and celebrating stories of people like Bruce Lee and Wing Chong Luke — who is not only the museum’s namesake but also the first Asian American elected into public office in the Pacific Northwest — is vital in the current political climate, said museum executive director Joël Barraquiel Tan.

“This is the time to really bring our communities together to experience the kind of teachings and inspiration of someone as integral to Seattle as Bruce Lee, to remind us that we can actualize something bigger than we could have ever imagined,” Barraquiel Tan said.

The exhibit marks the permanent partnership between the museum and the Bruce Lee Foundation. The museum will host the Bruce Lee Gallery and several future exhibits dedicated to the martial artist and his legacy.

https://images.seattletimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/07092022_3-brucelee_142606.jpg?d=1560x1047
Bruce Lee was an avid reader with a book collection approaching 3,000 on a cross-section of subjects. (Alan Berner / The Seattle Times)

“Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee”
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays; Wing Luke Museum, 719 S. King St.; $10-$17, free for children under 5; wingluke.org

Jayce Carral: jcarral@seattletimes.com; on Twitter: @jaycecarral. Another Wing Luke exhibit.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvndrIJczzE

[GeneChing]

Man charged with hate crime after vandalism at Wing Luke Museum (https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/man-charged-with-hate-crime-after-vandalizing-wing-luke-museum/)
Sep. 18, 2023 at 3:33 pm
https://images.seattletimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/09182023_Wing_Luke_Vandalism_155211.jpg?d=768x507
Adrien Fonseca, with Marpac Construction, works to remove glass from the Wing Luke Museum’s broken windows on Canton Alley South on Sept. 15. (Erika Schultz / The Seattle Times)
By Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks
Seattle Times staff reporter

A man was charged Monday with a hate crime after he smashed the windows of the Wing Luke Museum, King County prosecutors say.

According to the charges, Craig Milne, 76, used a sledgehammer to break the windows of the museum along Canton Alley South in Seattle on Thursday night, as dozens of patrons inside were touring an exhibit.

Milne, who is white, also was charged with first-degree malicious mischief for causing more than $100,000 worth of property damage, charging papers say.

After smashing the windows, Milne remained outside the building, and was heard saying he had come to the Chinatown International District to cause damage and that “the Chinese ruined my life,” according to witnesses.

Almost an hour later, when Seattle Police Department officers arrived and arrested Milne, he “continued making racially biased statements and expressed no remorse,” the charging documents stated, with Milne telling officers, “The Chinese have tortured and tormented me for 14 years. I don’t regret anything I did here.”

“The blatant racist motivations behind the defendant’s actions, the extreme nature of this property destruction, the disregard for individuals who were inside the building, and the lack of remorse gives the State significant community safety concerns,” prosecutors wrote.

Milne first appeared in court Friday, when a judge set his bail at $30,000. He remained in King County Jail on Monday.

The Wing Luke Museum is a major educational and cultural institution in Seattle and an anchor in the neighborhood. It is the only pan-Asian Pacific American community-based museum in the country.

“The attack and the damage, beyond the physical, was in part symbolic,” museum Executive Director Joël Barraquiel Tan previously told The Seattle Times. “It was targeted. It was planned.”

This is not the first time Milne has been accused of a hate crime. In October 2013, Milne was arrested for allegedly attacking and repeatedly punching an Asian man in the locker room at the Spartan Recreation Center in Shoreline.

King County Sheriff’s Office deputies reported they heard Milne shouting racial slurs against Asian people, saying “they ruined my life.” When he was arrested, Milne fought the deputies and called an Asian officer racial slurs, according to charging documents.

Milne was charged with fourth-degree assault and resisting arrest, according to court documents. The charges were dismissed in 2015, prosecutors said.

Community leaders said the attack Thursday ratcheted up already elevated concerns about public safety among some Asian American and Pacific Islander residents in Seattle. Several criticized the police response time, saying the 52 minutes it took for officers to arrive reflected local law enforcement and city leaders’ disregard for their well-being.

Hate crimes targeting Asians and Asian Americans increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, rising more than 73 percent in 2020, according to FBI data. Since 2020, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed 130 cases involving hate crimes, with 20 filed this year so far.

Milne’s arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Oct. 2 at the King County Courthouse.

Times researcher Miyoko Wolf contributed to this report.

Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks: 206-464-2246 or ayoonhendricks@seattletimes.com; on Twitter: @ayoonhendricks. Staff reporter Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks covers race and equity for The Seattle Times.

Stop-Asian-Hate (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72003-Stop-Asian-Hate)
Bruce-Lee-Museums-and-Gallery-Exhibits (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70543-Bruce-Lee-Museums-and-Gallery-Exhibits)

[GeneChing]

Wing Luke Museum gets $100K from city, state for repairs after vandal smashes windows (https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/wing-luke-museum-gets-100k-city-state-repairs-after-vandal-smashes-windows/N7VBY6PGOVH3FMGIFS54IYYGQM/)

By KIRO 7 News Staff
September 29, 2023 at 5:01 pm PDT

https://cmg-cmg-tv-10090-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/Gq0fK6ica9bNfaCcJOInVnY6vr0=/800x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/CJ4AFIB7O5GIROX3EC65OP2BGY.jpeg

SEATTLE — Seattle’s Wing Luke Museum will be getting $100,000 in funds to help in its recovery efforts after several of its windows were smashed by a vandal in early-September.

Seventy-six-year-old Craig Milne was charged in the incident, after smashing the museum’s windows with a sledgehammer while saying that “the Chinese have ruined my life.”

When officers arrived, he allegedly told them that “the Chinese have tortured and tormented me for 14 years.”

“I don’t regret anything I did here,” he added.

On Friday, the City of Seattle and the Washington State Department of Commerce announced that they would be giving the Wing Luke Museum $100,000 for repairs.

“I’m proud our state could step in alongside the City of Seattle to help the Wing Luke Museum recover from the violence of hate,” said Gov. Jay Inslee in a news release. “The museum is a local treasure honoring Washington’s global diversity. I encourage folks to visit and learn more about the history and culture of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.”

Milne was charged with two felonies, one for a hate crime and another for first degree malicious mischief.

Stop-Asian-Hate (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72003-Stop-Asian-Hate)
Bruce-Lee-Museums-and-Gallery-Exhibits (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70543-Bruce-Lee-Museums-and-Gallery-Exhibits)