View Full Version : HONG KONG | Bruce Lee Home Restoration


Kaitak747
June 24th, 2008, 05:27 AM
李小龍弟函特首促保兄故居

(明報) 06月 24日 星期二 05:10AM

【明報專訊】一代巨星李小龍故居地皮最快明日招標出售,惹來李小龍迷組織關注,希望政府將李小龍故居收購闢作博物館。李小龍會今日將發表由李小龍胞弟致特首的公開信,呼籲政府保護國際級文化



遺產,保留全球李小龍迷對這名巨星的集體回憶。

地皮最快明日招標

李小龍會會長黃耀強表示,該會今日會在尖沙嘴星光大道李小龍銅像前,發表由李小龍胞弟寫給特首的公開信,以及該會給全港市民的公開信,爭取保留位於九龍塘的李小龍故居。他說,該地皮最快明日招標發售,形勢緊急,希望政府出手收購,並闢作博物館,保留全球影迷的集體回憶。該會早前曾就收購事宜接觸政府,但一直未獲回覆。

盼政府收購闢博物館

黃耀強說,在香港的「龍的遺蹟」所餘無幾,李小龍故居是外國影迷必到之處,該會曾組織「尋龍之旅」,遊覽李小龍生前出沒地點,包括新樂酒店、聖方濟中學及九龍塘故居,緬懷一番。

四川地震後,內地慈善家余彭年將九龍塘5幅地皮放售,並稱若售出任何一幅土地,將捐出2988萬元賑災,當中位於金巴倫道41號羅曼酒店的地皮,正是李小龍故居。

EricIsHim
June 25th, 2008, 03:56 AM
We wish....

hkskyline
June 25th, 2008, 09:04 AM
Bruce Lee fans want to preserve HK home
24 June 2008

HONG KONG (AP) - Bruce Lee fans in the late action star's native Hong Kong on Tuesday urged the local government to buy his old home -- currently used as an hourly love motel -- and covert it into a museum.

Supporters made their case Tuesday at a press conference in front of a statue of Lee on Hong Kong's harbor-front, one of few local monuments honoring the actor.

They said the government hasn't properly paid tribute to Lee, known for films in which he portrayed characters that defended the Chinese and the working class from oppressors.

"Which Hong Konger isn't proud of Bruce Lee? But the ridiculous thing is in Hong Kong, the city where Bruce Lee made his name, grew up and died, there isn't a proper-looking place to remember him," director Manfred Wong said.

Philanthropist Yu Pang-lin recently put up Lee's old home for sale to raise funds for victims of the recent earthquake in China's central Sichuan province. An earlier newspaper report put the value of the plot at $13 million.

The Hong Kong government didn't immediately comment on the fans' proposal.

Other supporters of the proposal said Lee wasn't just a movie star, but helped improve the image of Chinese around the world.

"Bruce Lee doesn't just belong to Hong Kong. He belongs to Chinese around the world. ... Everyone knows he was the first Chinese celebrity," popular Hong Kong commentator Chip Tsao said.

Tsao, who studied in England, said British locals became less likely to harass Chinese immigrants because Lee projected an image of Chinese toughness.

Agnes Lui, a publicist for Land Power International Property Consultants (HK) Ltd., which is handling the sale of Lee's old home, declined to give information about offers for the plot. The deadline for offers is Wednesday.

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, where he also made his name as an actor. He lived for a time in Seattle, where he attended the University of Washington and taught martial arts. He is buried in Seattle's Lake View Cemetery next to his son, actor Brandon Lee.

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

Kaitak747
June 25th, 2008, 11:03 AM
田北辰李小龍上身 爭取改建李小龍故居為博物館

(明報) 06月 25日 星期三 05:10AM

【明報專訊】有意於九龍西參加立法會 選舉自由黨 田北辰 ,最近大做「李小龍 故居」議題,噚日出席李小龍會搞記者會,一同呼籲政府將李小龍故居改建為李小龍博物館,早前佢仲寫封信比商務及經濟發展局長馬時亨 ,解釋呢個要求。

點解田北辰會咁緊張李小龍博物館呢?原來佢自小已經係李小龍迷,睇過所有李小龍電影,包括《精武門》、《唐山大兄》,《死亡遊戲》等等,仲話佢細個去外國留學時,因為李小龍功夫了得,影響無遠弗屆,當地學生都唔敢亂向佢班中國學生郁手郁腳。佢噚日仲即場玩李小龍上身,擺晒李小龍甫士,畀記者任影唔嬲。

Kaitak747
July 5th, 2008, 04:03 AM
李小龍故居命運周一公布


(明報) 07月 05日 星期六 05:10AM

【明報專訊】李小龍 故居(金巴倫道41號,現為羅曼時鐘酒店)的業主內地富豪余彭年,早前把該物業標售,但自由黨 九龍西支部主席田北辰 及李小龍迷組織要求將之保留,余氏下周一會公布明確決定,


巿場消息指出,余氏傾向保留物業,但在下周一公布前會繼續作審慎考慮。

余彭年早前標售包括李小龍故居等5幅九龍塘地皮,並承諾售出地皮後會把款項作慈善及賑災用途。為余氏處理標售的代理置業國際昨日向傳媒發通知指出,余氏較早前擱置出售李小龍故居後,下周一會公布經審慎考慮後的決定。消息指出,余氏標售5幅地皮出發點是做善事,有意保留李小龍故居,下周一公布前仍會再作審慎考慮。

力倡保留李小龍故居的田北辰說,未能與余氏聯絡以了解其意向,若余氏考慮把物業轉贈政府,政府必須有跟進配套。他指出,曾與商務及經濟事務局長馬時亨 討論過,對方請他找發展局長林鄭月娥 ,但林太說,李小龍故居不是保育項目,不是該局負責範圍。

hkskyline
July 7th, 2008, 03:52 AM
Bruce Lee home not for sale; may be museum
3 July 2008
South China Morning Post

The owner of Bruce Lee's last home yesterday withdrew the house in Kowloon Tong from sale and said he would consider donating it to the community for a museum about the martial arts legend.

Fans of Lee, who died in 1973, welcomed the move. They have been calling for preservation of the building, recently used as a love hotel.

Billionaire philanthropist Yu Panglin had invited bids for the two-storey, 5,699 sq ft house in Cumberland Road and four other properties and said he would donate at least HK$29.88 million of the proceeds, and possibly HK$100 million, to victims of the Sichuan earthquake.

Mr Yu bought the house for HK$850,000 in the 1960s. He had asked bidders to submit tenders by yesterday. He said many people had wanted to buy the property - one had offered HK$105 million - but he had decided to withdraw it from sale.

"I will consider the views of the community and different parties. I may consider donating the property if the majority thinks we should preserve it," he said.

"Money is not my major concern. I just want to contribute to charity."

Lee, who was 32 when he died, rented the house in his final years.

Advocates of its preservation welcomed the prospect of Mr Yu donating it to house a museum.

"That would be fantastic news because fans and the community wouldn't have the money to buy out this property," said Michael Tien Puk-sun, a consultant to the Bruce Lee Club in close contact with the government on the issue.

Club chairman Wong Yiu-keung said he hoped a meeting could be held with Mr Yu soon to discuss the possibility of turning the property into a museum.

Steve Kerridge, a UK-based Lee devotee and the author of many books on the late star, said Mr Yu's decision had brought hope to fans around the world.

The government confirmed it is looking into turning the house into a museum.

The Tourism Commission said it had not discussed anything with the owner but had been studying examples such as the Beatles Story in Liverpool and Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion in the US state of Tennessee.

"We think the community would like to see a creative solution that would involve the private sector," a commission spokesman said.

Kaitak747
July 7th, 2008, 12:32 PM
余彭年捐李小龍故居建紀念館
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(星島) 07月 07日 星期一 05:17PM

擱置拍賣李小龍 故居的業主余彭年,決定將所屬地皮捐出興建紀念館。但需待政府批准更改土地用途,由住戶地改為商業用途,下周會去信發展局及商務及經濟發展局 ,若得不到批准,便會重新出售物業

。九龍塘金巴倫道四十一號李小龍故居,原來面積只有五千三百多平方呎,但紀念館需要約三萬平方呎空間,紀念館將分故居、博物館、電影館、圖書館及武術館等五個部分。

Kaitak747
July 8th, 2008, 03:00 AM
李小龍故居捐建紀念館

(星島) 07月 08日 星期二 05:30AM
(綜合報道)




(星島日報 報道)李小龍 故居已成為社會關注事件,業主低調富豪余彭年自上周落實擱置出售後,昨日終有定案,表示願意捐出地皮,以興建「李小龍紀念館」,但同時拋出四個「辣條件」,包括須獲政府支持,更改現時物業用途,以及在地皮上增建一幢二萬多方呎的新建築物,較原可興建的樓面多出約五倍,以作為博物館及電影館等之用,並揚言若政府不支持有關建議,考慮收回地皮再出售。

  本報地產組

  擾攘多時李小龍故居出售事件,昨日有突破進展,業主余彭年召開記者會表示,經多日的審慎思考及研究,加上連日來聽到社會各界及傳媒的聲音,決定正式擱置金巴倫道四十一號「李小龍故居」招標出售事宜,並願意捐出這幅地皮,作為興建「李小龍紀念館」之用。物業代理置業國際主席蔡涯棉表示,該地在招標其間,已有準買家出價逾一億元洽購,達到業主的意向價。

  不過,余氏就開列出四個先決條件,首先興建要得到政府支持,其次是要得到社會各界支持;第三條件為「用地須有人買下作建設之用」,但他補充,若第一、二點達到,余氏會捐出地皮。

  須政府及社會支持

  而第四個條件,為建館建築費、管理工程及日後運作費,余氏指,如真得到有關方面支持,他會牽頭籌備興建工作小組,集合更多方面的意見;至於建築費用方面,除在社會上籌集外,他本人出「一分力」,但如建議得不到支持,會重新考慮將該地皮出售。

  但被問及捐出土地業權或使用權,是否捐出或轉讓時,余氏就未有直接回應,只表示等日後有關專業人士如律師等商議後,才再作定奪;由於他年時已高(余氏現年八十六歲),不排除紀念館日後的管理權會交由政府負責。

  測量師:符合條件無可能

  據了解,余氏目前構思中的「李小龍紀念館」面積約三萬方呎,除重置故居部分讓影迷緬懷昔日李小龍風姿外,計畫中的展館將加建一幢新房子,當中包括李小龍博物館、電影館、圖書館及武術館等四部分;而扣除日常開支及營運經費後,所有收益將作慈善用途。

  地產界人士指,就地皮業主開出四大「辣」條件,業界亦質疑放寬上蓋限制根本難以獲城規會通過。測量師彭兆基直指,興建「李小龍紀念館」要符合業主條件根本「無可能」,條件甚難獲批。

  自由黨 九龍西支部主席田北辰 表示,「政府反應比之前正面,動用公帑購買有阻力,但若余先生肯捐獻,情況就很不同了。」昨天他也成功聯絡旅遊局,正安排開會時間,計畫與余氏會面。田氏認為,興建額外樓面不會構成阻力:「若博物館屬於政府,不涉利益輸送,那麼毋須重新規劃及補地價。」

  田北辰:若業權屬政府毋須補價

  香港李小龍會會長黃耀強昨日亦有來到記者會現場,並以「歡欣雀躍」來形容進展,「最難一關已渡過,現在就是看政府的做法。」他表示,該會正為復原李小龍故居作準備,「我們有足夠的東西,放在這三萬呎樓面,亦已取得李小龍姊姊與弟弟支持,並正聯絡他在美國 的太太。」

  商務及經濟發展局 發言人表示,政府稱樂意聽取有關李小龍紀念館的建議,會與其他政策局研究其可行性。發展局發言人表示,會與商務及經濟發展局研究設立李小龍紀念館的建議;至於建議是否涉及換地或補地價等問題,則會遲一步討論。

  除李小龍故居地皮受歡迎外,蔡涯棉指出,余彭年同時推出拍賣的四塊地皮,亦有準買家入標,惟出價有距離,加上業主看好九龍塘區地價,故需要時間考慮,不排除會收回地皮,結果會在月內公布。

  

Kaitak747
July 8th, 2008, 03:03 AM
影視界支持建館 關注誰掌管理權
(星島) 07月 08日 星期二 05:30AM
(綜合報道)



(星島日報 報道)李小龍 影響力無遠弗屆,本地眾多藝人名人,均是「李三腳」的影迷,對於偶像故居有機會建成李小龍紀念館,均表示開心及支持,但亦提出不少問題,如擔心物業的管理屬難題。

  郭政鴻是李小龍忠實擁躉:「李氏的影嚮力遍全世界,香港是他的根,但在香港就沒有一處地方紀念李小龍,若以其故居做博物館,有助振興香港旅遊業。」

  歐錦棠 :政府應插手

  歐錦棠同樣是李小龍影迷,對李小龍紀念館的設立感到高興,惟亦擔心管理問題,「首先好開心業主肯將物業作為紀念館之用,好心有好報,但之後紀念館如何管理與及營運會是一大問題。李小龍影迷會只屬小眾團體,建立李小龍紀念館,政府一定要插手,商討日後管理問題,不能任由小眾團體去做。另一個問題是,李小龍女兒李香凝原來從未接獲有關建立紀念館的通知,我覺得有關方面應知會李小龍後人。」

  林燕妮曾在商台 呼籲當局保留李小龍故居,昨日得知該物業的現有業主答應捐出物業,表示感謝對方。她說:「香港出了一個名人,政府怎能不以行動支持成立紀念館,認真戇居!李小龍雖在外國出生長大,但從不自認是外國人,反而一直以香港人自居。其他國家都會設館紀念當地名人,香港政府卻要民間談論才去做,我不知道旅發局到底做甚麼。」

  馮志豐「夜闖」龍居

  電台主持馮志豐為與偶像作「近距離接觸」,三星期前「夜闖」李小龍故居(現為羅曼酒店),並入住李氏生前的房間,一晚的房價是三百五十元。雖然當年睡房的露台已改建為一個洗手間,大致仍保留當年的格局,相信要復修原貌不難。

  一條由地下直通二樓睡房露台,用金色磁磚鋪砌的柱,亦原裝保留下來,只是當年的露台現已圍上一幅外牆,成為睡房洗手間一部分。馮志豐表示:「廁所現時裝上假天花,我還刻意揭開假天花看,見到天花板和牆壁仍是當年原貌,未有改裝。」港聞及娛樂組

Kaitak747
July 8th, 2008, 03:11 AM
家屬允捐李小龍遺物

http://appledaily.atnext.com/images/apple-photos/apple/20080708/large/08la4p10.jpg
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(明報) 07月 08日 星期二 05:10AM

【明報專訊】李小龍 故居得以保存,並改建為紀念館,可謂達成一班李小龍「粉絲」的心願,而李小龍家屬更表明願意捐出部分李小龍遺物,如生前穿過的衣服、用過的家具等。旅遊業界對此表示歡迎,

並指本港目前甚缺乏這類景點,認為政府可將其他名人,如歌后鄧麗君 、國學大師錢穆在港的故居,發展成紀念館,增加旅遊吸引力。

捐衣服舊照家俬

在港爭取建李小龍紀念館多年的李小龍會,其會長黃耀強對業主余彭年的決定表示雀躍,「可說是達成心願的一大步」。他引述該會名譽主席,即李小龍胞弟李振輝表示,願意捐出李小龍的遺物予紀念館,「例如他穿過的衣服、舊照,及用過的家俬等」。希望藉此與其他人分享這位一代武打巨星的生前點滴。他說會聯絡余氏商討合作,亦希望政府投入人力和財力協助興建。

香港旅行社 協會主席胡兆英亦對這表示歡迎,因為李小龍是本港首位讓外國人認識的明星,對他們特別有吸引力,即使目前星光大道豎立的李小龍像,亦是遊客必然的拍照點,而且本港目前缺乏這類由名人故居改建成的旅遊點,「連虎豹別墅都沒有了」。

鄧麗君故居已清拆

他說,外國不少地方都有這類以名人作招徠的景點,故香港大可將包括一代歌后鄧麗君等的故居改為紀念館等,令本港旅遊點更多元化。他說,唯一希望政府日後在發展這些景點時,在附近設有旅遊巴的上落點方便旅客,不要如目前位於半山的孫中山 紀念館,門外無法停車,旅行團難以前往。

事實上,本港不少名人故居早已在「無人理」的情下清拆,如鄧麗君的赤柱 大宅,在她病逝易手後已被清拆重建;國學大師錢穆及著名哲學家唐君毅曾在深水住過的新亞書院宿舍,亦面臨清拆,重建成商住項目。

旅發局發言人表示,支持任何有利於推動香港旅業發展的項目和設施。

hkskyline
July 9th, 2008, 05:31 AM
Bruce Lee museum piques family's interest
9 July 2008
South China Morning Post

Family members of late martial arts and movie star Bruce Lee may get involved in the museum complex proposed for the site of his former Kowloon Tong home.

The South China Morning Post has learned that Lee's widow, Linda Lee Cadwell, and daughter Shannon have asked Hong Kong law firm Haldanes to make contact with billionaire philanthropist Yu Panglin, who announced on Monday his plan to donate the 41 Cumberland Road property and turn it into a museum complex commemorating Lee.

John McLellan, a partner at Haldanes, said the firm would help facilitate a dialogue between Mr Yu and Mrs Lee Cadwell and Shannon Lee, who are in the United States.

Lee's widow is chairwoman of the US-based Bruce Lee Foundation, while Shannon Lee is the foundation's president.

"They have been following the news reports and they are very curious to find out what is being proposed," Mr McLellan said. It was understood that the law firm has been trying to reach Mr Yu, who lives in Shenzhen.

Lee's other family members - his younger brother Robert and older sister Phoebe - were prepared to make donations of Lee's belongings to the museum.

"They will include clothes, family photo albums, furniture that Bruce Lee used during his childhood," said Wong Yiu-keung, chairman of the Bruce Lee Club, for which Robert Lee serves as an honorary chairman.

Meanwhile, Bruce Lee Club consultant Michael Tien Puk-sun, who has been in close contact with the government on the issue, said a meeting had been set up between Mr Yu and officials from the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau.

A bureau spokesman confirmed the meeting would take place tomorrow.

On Monday, Mr Yu said he had decided not to sell the home and would turn it into a complex featuring not only the star's restored home, but also a museum, cinema, library and a martial arts centre. As the 8,916 sq ft site only allows residential buildings, it will require government approval of a change in land use before the complex can be built.

hkskyline
July 11th, 2008, 05:09 AM
Bruce Lee museum in old home proposed
10 July 2008

HONG KONG (AP) - A developer who owns Bruce Lee's old home in Hong Kong lobbied the government Thursday to turn the property into a museum.

Yu Pang-lin met Thursday with Hong Kong's commerce and economic development secretary about his plans for the two-story house, currently used as an hourly motel.

The 86-year-old developer-turned-philanthropist had put the property on sale to raise money for victims of the recent earthquake in China's Sichuan province, but changed his mind after fans of the late martial-arts star expressed worries about the building's possible destruction.

He's willing to donate the property, where Lee lived in 1972 and '73, and wants the Hong Kong government to set up a trust that will hold the property and spearhead efforts to plan and raise funds for the museum, said Michael Tien, a local politician who attended Thursday's meeting.

Michael Choi, chairman of the property consultant company that was handling the sale of the property for Yu, said the house and the land it's on fetched an offer of more than $13 million.

The press secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Secretary Frederick Ma didn't immediately return calls about Yu's proposal.

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."

Kaitak747
July 19th, 2008, 04:31 AM
李小龍故居完成勘察拍照
19/07/2008






【 本 報 訊 】 李 小 龍 故 居 業 主 余 彭 年 表 明 , 會 出 錢 出 地 支 持 把 「 龍 之 居 」 變 為 李 小 龍 紀 念 館 , 估 計 重 新 打 造 的 開 支 會 超 過 一 億 元 , 他 希 望 政 府 可 以 斥 部 分 資 金 , 但 若 數 目 仍 然 不 足 夠 , 他 願 意 出 錢 出 地 。 當 局 早 前 已 經 派 員 進 入 故 居 拍 照 及 搜 證 , 預 計 一 個 月 內 會 有 報 告 , 決 定 重 新 打 造 「 新 之 居 」 的 可 行 性 。

李 小 龍 逝 世 三 十 五 周 年 展 覽 昨 日 開 幕 , 李 小 龍 故 居 的 物 業 擁 有 人 余 彭 年 到 場 參 觀 , 他 說 之 前 曾 要 求 將 該 物 業 更 改 土 地 用 途 及 建 築 面 積 以 建 造 李 小 龍 博 物 館 , 建 議 計 劃 亦 與 商 務 及 經 濟 發 展 局 前 局 長 馬 時 亨 交 流 獲 正 面 回 應 , 並 說 計 劃 還 需 交 給 旅 遊 、 建 築 規 劃 部 門 審 議 。 政 府 近 日 派 人 到 故 居 內 部 拍 照 , 一 個 月 內 會 提 交 報 告 給 余 彭 年 , 雙 方 再 商 討 。

余 彭 年 對 紀 念 館 的 成 立 感 樂 觀 , 據 租 約 , 余 發 出 通 知 後 三 個 月 可 收 回 租 給 時 鐘 酒 店 的 故 居 土 地 。 三 星 期 前 , 余 彭 年 收 到 李 小 龍 太 太 的 律 師 來 信 要 求 與 余 見 面 , 但 詳 情 仍 等 候 安 排 。

展 覽 展 出 劇 照 著 作
「 李 小 龍 光 輝 35 」 展 昨 日 開 幕 , 展 出 約 八 百 多 件 收 藏 品 , 如 李 小 龍 著 作 初 版 、 舊 雜 誌 、 劇 照 等 。 展 場 內 亦 有 多 塊 李 小 龍 故 居 展 板 , 包 括 一 九 七 三 年 從 高 空 拍 攝 李 小 龍 故 居 一 帶 的 相 片 , 主 辦 單 位 李 小 龍 會 主 席 黃 耀 強 指 , 展 出 故 居 相 片 是 希 望 向 政 府 加 壓 , 令 政 府 不 能 推 搪 。

在 九 龍 塘 創 新 中 心 的 「 李 小 龍 光 輝 35 」 展 將 舉 行 至 本 月 二 十 八 日 , 收 費 三 十 元 , 入 場 會 自 動 成 為 李 小 龍 會 會 員 。

hkskyline
July 21st, 2008, 10:22 AM
Exhibit marks Bruce Lee's death
18 July 2008

HONG KONG (AP) - 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, in Hong Kong at age 32 from swelling of the brain. He was born in San Francisco, grew up in Hong Kong, attended the University of Washington and taught martial arts in Seattle, where he is buried in Lake View Cemetery next to his son, actor Brandon Lee.

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.

Kaitak747
July 25th, 2008, 04:44 AM
李小龍故居政府稱無保留價值 不會提供經濟誘因


(明報)7月25日 星期五 05:10


【明報專訊】李小龍 故居的業主余彭年計劃捐出故居改建李小龍紀念館,正爭取政府支持計劃及接納增加地皮樓面。但發展局昨回覆九龍城區議會 時表明李小龍故居建築並無重大價值,不會提供經濟誘因進行保育。協助業主跟進項目的置業國際主席蔡涯棉期望,政府以促進經濟角度審視項目,將故居翻新成旅遊景點。

李小龍故居的業主余彭年於月初宣布擱置出售故居地皮,並改建現屬時鐘酒店的故居建築作為李小龍紀念館,並爭取政府支持更改土地用途,及額外增加總發展樓面至3萬平方呎。

促設紀念館 發展旅遊景點

政府接獲余彭年建議,早前派出古物古蹟辦事處 職員到場視察,發展局昨回覆九龍城區議會時指出,古蹟辦報告顯示該建築風格簡單,並無獨特建築元素,故無保留價值;而單從歷史保育角度,不會考 慮效法景賢里個案,提供經濟誘因保留建築。商務及經濟發展局 則指出,會仔細考慮李小龍紀念館的可行性。

蔡涯棉表示,業主明白建築物無歷史價值,亦表明無意接受政府財政支援,但希望商務局以李小龍文化特色和旅遊角度出發,支持落實紀念館計劃。

16區會支持皇后碼頭 海濱重組

此外,發展局代表昨日出席九龍城和沙田 區議會進行中環 新海濱規劃諮詢後,宣告完成18區議會諮詢,當中16個區議會通過支持海濱重組碼頭動議,只有黃大仙 區議會和深水埗區議會未有提出動議。

另東區區議會和灣仔區議會等多個議會更屬一致支持,只有屯門 區議會和中西區區議會有較多議員提出反對,堅持原址重組皇后碼頭以尊重文化歷史。

長春社︰對區會取態感遺憾

長春社公共事務經理李少文對區議會的取態感到遺憾,質疑區議員並無關注碼頭的保育價值,並批評古蹟辦亦拒絕就海濱重組和原址重組兩方案進行獨立文物評估,向公眾交代兩方案對碼頭的影響。他又指,據古蹟辦資料,假如皇后碼頭在海濱重組,亦只能在地面上重置並恢復碼頭前端的登岸階梯功能,但無法仿效昔日以木樁架設在海面上,左右兩旁的登岸階梯功能不能完全恢復。

hkskyline
July 30th, 2008, 10:28 AM
李小龍展 by ahahowa from a Hong Kong discussion forum :

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r142/ahahowa/Bruce%20Show%2008/e7.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r142/ahahowa/Bruce%20Show%2008/e9.jpg

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http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r142/ahahowa/Bruce%20Show%2008/e4.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r142/ahahowa/Bruce%20Show%2008/a.jpg

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http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r142/ahahowa/Bruce%20Show%2008/a1.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r142/ahahowa/Bruce%20Show%2008/a2.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r142/ahahowa/Bruce%20Show%2008/a3.jpg

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http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r142/ahahowa/Bruce%20Show%2008/c1.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r142/ahahowa/Bruce%20Show%2008/c2.jpg

hkskyline
October 27th, 2008, 11:51 AM
Shannon Lee backs plan to turn her father's home into a museum
26 October 2008
South China Morning Post

Bruce Lee's daughter is willing to back a plan to turn the martial arts legend's former residence in Kowloon Tong into a museum.

Shannon Lee discussed the project with its owner, Yu Panglin, and government officials on a trip to Hong Kong during which she visited the house - her childhood home.

Lee told the Sunday Morning Post she supported the plan because of its charitable nature. "The meeting with the officials went well," Lee said. "I'm just interested in seeing there'll be a place in Hong Kong where the legacy of Bruce Lee can live {hellip} It's an idea that is way overdue.

"We discussed alternative ideas, to which they were receptive, but the problem seems to be the zoning and ordinances {hellip} They also wanted my support and help in the management and fund-raising for the project, which I said I would be happy to assist in."

Mr Yu has offered to donate and redevelop the property to include a museum, a cinema, a library and a martial arts centre occupying about 30,000 sq ft, and has said he is willing to share the cost of construction.

However, a change of the land use from residential to other purposes would be required.

Lee said Mr Yu's offer was "noble" and that officials were open to having the Bruce Lee Foundation, a charity in the United States that she heads, manage the project. "We have our own plans to build a museum" in Washington state, Lee said. "To have these museums affiliated with one another so that they can share collections would be great. But [the Hong Kong museum] should have its own ideas behind it."

A government spokesman said representatives from the Tourism Commission and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department met Lee on Friday and the government was studying the proposal.

Last week, Lee paid her first visit to Shunde , Guangdong, Bruce Lee's hometown in the Pearl River Delta, where a theme park commemorates the late star.

hkskyline
January 7th, 2009, 05:11 PM
Bruce Lee's last home to be turned into a tourist site: owner
7 January 2009
Agence France Presse

The owner of Bruce Lee's former Hong Kong mansion has agreed to turn the property into a tourist destination commemorating the late kung fu legend, his advisor said Wednesday.

Millionaire philanthropist Yu Panglin met with government officials to try to hammer out a plan to preserve Lee's last residence, Michael Choi, who is assisting Yu in the negotiations told AFP.

"Since Yu decided to withdraw his plan to sell the mansion in July last year, the government had been considering the feasibility of a conservation plan," Choi told AFP.

"Both sides reached a consensus on restoring the property to Lee's days and turning it into a tourist attraction," he said.

Yu bought the 5,000 square feet (460 square metres), two-storey house in Kowloon Tong for 850,000 Hong Kong dollars (109,000 US) in the 1960s. The property is now worth around 100 million dollars.

He hopes to expand the floor area of the mansion -- which has been used as a seedy love hotel -- and turn it into a large museum complex with a cinema, library and martial arts centre.

"We met with Lee's daughter last October and she agreed to help us restore the mansion to its former shape. She told us her family could donate some of Lee's personal items including his movie costumes," said Choi, who is chairman of Land Power International.

"Mr Yu will donate the property to the government if he is satisfied that their plan is sustainable and will attract tourists to Hong Kong," Choi said.

The secretary for commerce and economic Development Rita Lau confirmed the government had given provisional backing to the plan after Tuesday's meeting.

"The government takes the view that the development should focus on enabling the Bruce Lee fans to commemorate the achievements and understand the life of their idol through visiting the residence, and revitalising the building for long-term sustainable operation as a tourism attraction."

Yu decided against selling the mansion last summer, following calls from fans of the star to preserve Lee's former home.

The US-born Lee died at the age of 32 in 1973, after a brief but bright career as the high-kicking hero of Hong Kong movies like "Big Boss" and "Fist of Fury", which remain hugely popular across the world.

Mr_Dru
January 11th, 2009, 12:14 PM
Bruce my hero...

hkth
January 14th, 2009, 12:47 PM
Gov't Press Release:
LCQ3: Development of a Bruce Lee memorial hall (http://info.gov.hk/gia/general/200901/14/P200901140150.htm)

hkskyline
July 5th, 2009, 11:28 AM
Restoration of Bruce Lee's home welcomed, despite traffic fears
3 July 2009
South China Morning Post

Kowloon City residents welcomed restoration of Bruce Lee's former home but were concerned about the impact on the area and traffic, the local council heard yesterday.

Many councillors expressed support for the government's plan to restore the two-storey house at 41 Cumberland Road in a quiet residential area of Kowloon Tong.

They told Kowloon City District Council that turning the late martial arts legend's house into a museum could attract fans from around the world. Some believed it would lift the tone of the neighbourhood.

"Having a museum is better than having a love hotel," councillor Ho Hin-ming said.

But councillor John Wong Yee-him said residents were concerned that the house, where Lee spent his last years before his death in 1973 at the age of 32, could become a theme park. The owner of the HK$100 million house, Yu Panglin, agreed to donate the property after fans called for its preservation.

"Residents wonder if the district can cope with a surge of traffic," Dr Wong said. "They are also concerned about how to ensure the design of the restoration matches the neighbouring area."

Councillor Bruce Liu Sing-lei said fans of superstars such as Michael Jackson and Lee always hoped for a place to commemorate their beloved star when they died.

Mr Liu, who said he was a huge Lee fan, said he hoped the museum could include a detailed background of the late star and his connections with Hong Kong, from his school days to his martial arts heritage.

Mr Ho said that as well as turning Lee's former residence into a tourist destination, the government should consider designing a path to link it with other destinations in the area that had connections with Lee.

He said the museum could consider adopting an advance booking system to control traffic.

Assistant Commissioner for Tourism Winifred Chung assured councillors that the house would not become a theme park and the Transport Department would study traffic issues. It was understood that further updates on the restoration would be announced later this month.

The government announced in March that it would hold an open competition for the project's design. Surveyor Raymond Chan Yuk-ming, who will help run the competition, said details were not finalised but it was hoped the design could be decided by the end of this year.

hkskyline
July 9th, 2009, 09:20 AM
Action man gets his due
11 April 2009
The Australian

LEAVE the sprawling expanses of the Festival Walk shopping centre and walk the back streets of Hong Kong's Kowloon Tong and it's easy to see why the suburb long has been favoured by the rich and famous.

Building heights here are restricted, a lasting legacy of the fact the area once lay in the flight path of the city's old airport at Kai Tak, while the footpaths are tree-lined and the houses boast garden areas of the kind only dreamed about in the rest of this cluttered city.

But the man behind the front desk at 41 Cumberland Rd doesn't fancy anyone looking around too much. He wants them upstairs and getting on with business.

Climbing the stairs, you can only imagine what this place must have looked like in the early 1970s, when it was home to Bruce Lee and the martial arts hard man was on the cusp on becoming an international superstar.

These days the building serves as a love motel, with rooms rented for $HK215 ($39) an hour, hence the eagerness to get customers in and out quickly. But all that funny business will soon be coming to an end. The building's owner, Chinese philanthropist Yu Panglin, has recently decided to turn the building into a Bruce Lee museum, remarkably the first such tribute here to a man who almost single-handedly launched Hong Kong cinema to the world.

Lee was 32 when he died of a cerebral edema in 1973. The local tabloid press went wild with tales of a gangland hit and the fact he had died in the flat of his lover. Enter the Dragon, his posthumously released film, made $US90 million at the international box office, which was unheard of for an action flick at the time.

But the Hong Kong government has been slow to mark Lee's legacy, with industry insiders speculating that's because Lee's body was found to contain traces of cannabis and that he was rumoured to have mobsterconnections.

Last year, Shang Village, just over the border from Hong Kong, near Shunde in Guangdong Province and the Lee clan's ancestral home, got the jump when it opened the world's first Bruce Lee Museum.

The Bosnian city of Mostar, meanwhile, unveiled a statue of Lee in 2005, dedicated to his fight for ethnic equality, just a day before Hong Kong lifted the curtain on its first statue of the actor, on the Avenue of Stars in Kowloon's Tsim Sha Tsui.

But other than a short-lived Bruce Lee Cafe in Central in the late '90s, there has never been a proper memorial dedicated to Lee and his life. With the help of Yu, and the support of Lee's former wife Linda Lee Cadwell and daughter Shannon, things are at last happening, and it has been reported that the star's family has agreed to donate some of his personal items, including film costumes.

Work on the Bruce Lee Museum is expected to begin later this year when the love motel's doors close.

The Hong Kong Government has invited local and international architects to enter a competition to help design the museum, plus a cinema and library to be built next door.

hkskyline
July 20th, 2009, 07:30 PM
Competition aims to make Bruce Lee's former home, now a love motel, into a museum
20 July 2009

HONG KONG (AP) - The former home of Bruce Lee is now a love motel, renting rooms by the hour. But officials on Monday launched a design competition to turn it into a Hong Kong museum for the kung fu icon.

"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 36th anniversary of Lee's death.

Lee's fans have been calling for an official monument for their hero in his hometown for years.

Lee became a chest-thumping source of Chinese pride by portraying characters that 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.

Yu said he wants the museum to include a memorial hall, a library, a kung fu studio and a film archive.

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, the Hong Kong government said in a statement.

Yu has offered to donate Lee's home and put up the HK$100,000 ($13,000) in prize money, but it is unclear how the museum itself will be funded.

Meanwhile, 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, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Rita Lau said at Monday's press conference.

Officials showed an 8-minute trailer of 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.

hkskyline
July 22nd, 2009, 04:49 AM
Film trailer marks anniversary
21 July 2009
South China Morning Post

Bruce Lee's former home has yet to be turned into a public memorial, but a nine-minute trailer of a film was premiered yesterday as an alternative way to commemorate the 36th anniversary of the legend's death.

The yet-to-be-titled film, featuring 50 interviews with Lee's family, childhood friends, kung fu buddies, film industry colleagues and former lovers, was made by members of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers and will be shown at the museum.

Producer Ng See-yuen, chairman of the federation, hoped the film would provide a complete profile of the star, who died on July 20, 1973. "They talked about Bruce Lee from different perspectives, and if you put their words together, you can get the most complete profile," said Ng, who directed Game of Death II, a sequel to Lee's last film.

The documentary covers Lee's short life from his childhood to his rise to stardom, martial arts philosophy, love life and his mysterious death. The trailer showed interviews with director John Woo; Ip Chun, son of Lee's wing chun master Ip Man; Raymond Chow Ting-hsing, founder of Golden Harvest Entertainment, which produced some of the best-known Lee films; actress Betty Ting Pei, who dated Lee; and actor Shek Kin, who died last month.

"We have been filming for a few months and now it's 90 per cent completed," Ng said, adding that it was not easy to persuade some people to be interviewed. "But they all believed that this important project is a real treasure for Hong Kong."

Meanwhile, RTHK is producing a film documenting development of Lee's home. It will also be shown in the restored residence.

hkskyline
August 10th, 2009, 06:08 PM
Hong Kong finally remembers Bruce Lee, who made martial arts famous.
23 July 2009
Irish Times

HONG KONG LETTER: IT HAS taken a long time, but Hong Kong is finally getting ready to honour a debt that it owes to its most famous native son, Bruce Lee, the man whose furious fists of fury and way of the dragon put the territory’s film business on the map, writes CLIFFORD COONAN

Lee’s last home in Hong Kong was at 41 Cumberland Road in the Kowloon Tong part of the territory, and is currently a love motel, where couples can rent by the hour in discreet surroundings.

Not the most salubrious way to remember the man who single- handedly developed the martial arts movie business.

Lee died 36 years ago this week, but for years his contribution has been unmarked by an official monument in his home town. His fans have demonstrated in front of the statue of Lee on the harbour front in Tsim Sha Tsui and accuse the city of not paying proper homage to him.

Now Hong Kong authorities hope to mark his heroic contribution to Hong Kong’s heritage with the construction of a museum in his former house.

This week they launched a design competition to build a Hong Kong museum fitting for the kung fu master.

“I hope I can personally witness and oversee the completion of the Bruce Lee museum in my lifetime,” said the house’s owner, Yu Panglin, who is in his 80s.

Yu is a billionaire philanthropist who owns properties all over Hong Kong. He originally planned to sell a portfolio of properties to raise funds for the victims of the Sichuan earthquake; one of the buildings set to go under the hammer was the HK$100 million (€9 million) love motel.

Uproar ensued, with the fans fearful the house could be knocked down or, God forbid, taken over by Japanese karate experts. Yu handed it over to the fans, via a local town planning board, ultimately resulting in this week’s design competition.

The museum is expected to include a kung fu studio, a film archive and a library, as well as a memorial hall. Lee’s daughter, Shannon, and a panel of architects and town planners will judge the design competition and the winners will be announced by the end of the year.

Other efforts to remember the martial arts king include a new film trilogy about his life called Bruce Lee. The film will start shooting in October and will be a joint production between his family and a Hong Kong company.

While no director has been named, there are lots of rumours that China’s top director Zhang Yimou, who made Heroand directed the Olympics opening ceremony, could be in the frame as he has said on many occasions that he is keen to shoot a film version of Lee’s life.

Executive producer Manfred Wong said the first part of the trilogy would focus on his early life. So far, the only casting decision that had been made was that Tony Leung Ka-fai would play Lee’s father.

“There will be kung fu . . . but more importantly, we want to portray the real Bruce Lee,” Wong said. “What is the real Bruce Lee like? He was very humorous, he was very obedient to his parents, he was very kind to his family.”

The movie is set to be released on November 27th, 2010, the 70th anniversary of 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 US 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. 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 Deathin 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 Lee is a national hero, as much for the way he embodied Chinese pride and nationalism in his movies.

It won’t be without competition. In mainland China, a theme park, complete with a statue, a memorial hall, conference centre and martial arts academy, is being built in Shunde.

Many in mainland China missed him the first time around in the early 1970s because movies like Enter the Dragonand Fists of Furywere banned by Chairman Mao Zedong’s closed Communist government as spiritual pollution and rightist sentimentality.

A popular 50-part TV series last year did much to help complete the picture of this native son on the mainland.

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

At the ceremony to launch the design competition, an eight-minute biography, produced by veteran Hong Kong director Ng See-yuen, was shown. It included interviews with Mission: Impossible IIdirector John Woo, as well as contributions by Ip Chun, the eldest son of his kung fu teacher, Ip Man, and actress Betty Ting Pei, in whose home Lee died.

The short biographical film also included footage of him in an open coffin at his funeral, which was attended by some of the world’s biggest tough guy actors, including Steve McQueen, Chuck Norris, James Coburn and former “James Bond” George Lazenby.

Skybean
August 10th, 2009, 08:11 PM
Bravo :applause:

hkskyline
October 29th, 2009, 01:05 PM
Designs flood in for Bruce Lee museum
17 October 2009
SCMP

A competition to design a Bruce Lee museum at the late kung fu star's former Kowloon Tong home has attracted more than 160 submissions from Hong Kong and overseas.

The international competition kicked off on July 20, the 36th anniversary of Lee's death, and closed on Thursday. Organised by the institutes of architects, planners and surveyors, it sought ideas for restoring Lee's former home - a two-storey house at 41 Cumberland Road.

About 63 per cent of the entries came from Hong Kong.

Lee's former home was a love hotel until the villa's owner, Yu Panglin, agreed last year to donate the HK$100 million property for the project to commemorate the kung fu star's contribution to martial arts and the film industry.

"We hope that the villa will be restored to the original state that Bruce Lee lived in as far as possible," Bruce Lee Club chairman W Wong Yiu- keung said.

The actor spent his last years there before his death in 1973 at the age of 32. Wong said the star's many fans around the world were eager to visit the museum as soon as possible.

"It was his home; we want to get in there to see what he saw, to breathe what he breathed," Wong said, adding that fancy facilities would be unnecessary. "Like the homes of other big stars in the world, fans simply want to see the place the star lived in."

A seven-member adjudication panel, including representatives of the property owner, Lee's family, the three professional institutes, the Kowloon City District Council and the Hong Kong Tourism Board will examine the 160 entries.

Winners are expected to be announced early next year, with assessment based on creativity, feasibility, practicability and ease of construction, as well as how the design would harmonise with the neighbourhood.

The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said the questions of how much the restoration would cost, who would be paying and how long it would take remained unanswered.

hkskyline
November 26th, 2009, 03:59 PM
李小龍故居設計巡迴展
2009年11月26日(四)
http://the-sun.on.cc/img/logo_tsn.png

【本報訊】已故巨星李小龍女兒李香凝專程由美國來港,參與李小龍故居概念設計比賽的評審工作,有關評審工作已於本周初進行,比賽結果將於明年初公布,屆時會有全港性的巡迴展覽,市民有機會參觀各參賽作品。

商務及經濟發展局局長劉吳惠蘭昨與李小龍女兒李香凝會面,商討合作機會,並希望她協助使用或複製李小龍的私人物品,在將來的李小龍故居呈現,使故居能真實地展示李小龍的一生。
將發展為景點

劉吳惠蘭指出,香港與西雅圖同被視作李小龍的家,世界各地擁戴他的人都希望到此一遊,政府期望有機會與李小龍基金會合作,例如交換展品和合辦活動等。劉吳惠蘭又感謝李香凝在百忙中抽空為設計比賽擔任評審員,比賽反應熱烈,本地及海外共有超過一百四十份合資格的參賽作品。

劉吳惠蘭說,評審委員會費盡心思評選參賽作品,所有比賽組別的優勝作品已經選出,她深信獲選的作品將提供具創意的構思和概念,復修李小龍故居,並將故居發展為景點,表揚李小龍對武術和香港電影的貢獻。

hkskyline
December 3rd, 2009, 11:24 AM
SCED meets Bruce Lee's daughter on restoration of residence
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Government Press Release

The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mrs Rita Lau, met Ms Shannon Lee, daughter of the late Mr Bruce Lee, today (November 25) to exchange views on the planned restoration of Bruce Lee's Residence in Kowloon Tong and on opportunities for co-operation in the project.

Ms Lee came to Hong Kong from the United States to take part in the adjudication for the Ideas Competition for Bruce Lee's Residence held earlier this week.

Mrs Lau thanked Ms Lee for serving as an adjudicator for the competition, which received an overwhelming response of more than 140 valid entries, both local and overseas.

"Thanks to the hard work of the adjudication panel, the winning entries for all the competition categories have been selected. I am sure that these entries will provide very good creative ideas and concepts for restoring the residence and turning it into an attraction to commemorate Bruce Lee's contribution to martial arts and the film industry," Mrs Lau said.

The adjudication panel also comprised representatives of the property owner Mr Yu Pang-lin, Kowloon City District Council, the tourism sector as well as three professional bodies. The professional adviser will proceed to compile the assessment report and the competition results will be announced early next year.

"A territory-wide roving exhibition will be staged to share with the public the competition entries," Mrs Lau said.

Mrs Lau also discussed with Ms Lee opportunities for co-operation including her support for using or reproducing her father's personal artefacts.

"Hong Kong and Seattle are both regarded as the home of Bruce Lee which fans around the world would like to visit. We look forward to possible co-operation with the Bruce Lee Foundation such as exchanging exhibits and organising joint events in the future," Mrs Lau said.

hkskyline
January 21st, 2010, 04:12 PM
The selling of Bruce Lee, from legend to lifestyle
‘Relaunching the brand,’ daughter of late martial artist retools global image
12 December 2009
International Herald Tribune

Albert Einstein, dead since 1955, is earning $10 million a year. John Lennon, $15 million. Elvis, $55 million. Marilyn Monroe, $8 million, about the same as Andy Warhol.

Deceased artists, celebrities and rumpled physicists can generate substantial revenue for their heirs through merchandising and endorsement deals. Marilyn curtain rings, Warhol flip-flops, Elvis candy dishes — the possibilities are as endless as they are tacky.

That is not what Shannon Lee wants for her father, Bruce Lee, the indomitable martial artist who died in 1973, at the age of 32, just a week before the release of his first Hollywood film, ‘‘Enter the Dragon.’’

Ms. Lee, 40, a former actress who lives in Los Angeles, was just 4 when her father died. Her memories of him, she said, are fleeting.

‘‘I wish I had more of them,’’ she said recently, sipping green tea in a Hong Kong cafe. ‘‘I have glimpses and images. Brief flashes.’’

Calling herself ‘‘the guide’’ for her father’s ‘‘legacy,’’ she has recently begun an effort to rebuild his image in the global marketplace. She calls it ‘‘relaunching the brand, as it were.’’

The estate now generates $2 million a year, Ms. Lee said, and she is hoping to increase that to about $5 million as ‘‘a decent base line.’’

With only a few films in Mr. Lee’s oeuvre, however, there is not much to relaunch. None of his feature films is controlled by the Lee estate, and they have all been copied and pirated so widely that even the licensed DVDs sell for as little as $2 in Hong Kong.

Mr. Lee was born in San Francisco but grew up as a tough Hong Kong street kid. He trained obsessively in martial arts and perfected his own kung fu fighting style. Then three films produced in Hong Kong made him a superstar in Asia.

The huge success of ‘‘Enter the Dragon,’’ coupled with the death of its star, made Mr. Lee famous throughout the world. In the United States, the film was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress and deemed an American classic. Mr. Lee got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was named among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

His celebrity was heightened by rumors and conspiracy theories about his death. Some said he had died in the arms of his mistress after a drug overdose, others suggested he had been the victim of a mob hit by a vengeful Triad boss, or had been felled by a karmic curse. The official inquiry ruled that his death was caused by brain swelling from an adverse reaction to a common pain reliever called Equagesic.

Nearly four decades later, Mr. Lee clearly remains an icon of global popular culture. Rebecca Yau, the marketing manager of Fortune Star, which owns the early Hong Kong films starring Mr. Lee, said all his films were still selling well. She said a Blu-ray boxed set would soon be issued.

But over the years, Bruce Lee Enterprises generated comparatively minuscule revenues under the direction of Mr. Lee’s widow, Linda Lee Caldwell. There was little supervision of the use of Mr. Lee’s image or name. The estate did not even own the Internet domain name www.brucelee.com.

His last home in Hong Kong had become a by-the-hour love motel. In recent months, the billionaire who owned the house donated it to the city, and plans are in the works to create a small museum there.

Ms. Lee was in Hong Kong last month to look at the entries in a design competition for the museum, although the Lee estate is not affiliated with the project.

‘‘We have our own goal of building the Bruce Lee Action Museum in the States,’’ she said. It will probably be in Seattle, she said, where Mr. Lee once lived and is now buried.

Ms. Lee became more involved in the preservation of her father’s legacy 10 years ago, and her mother passed the daily control of Bruce Lee Enterprises to her. Her main thrust was to assemble Mr. Lee’s philosophy, fitness, ambition and work ethic into a saleable concept.

‘‘We look at Bruce Lee as a lifestyle,’’ Ms. Lee said.

She went to court to wrest the domain name from an entrepreneur who had bought it years ago and was using it as a portal to other unrelated businesses.

The new Web site, introduced in October, includes some of Mr. Lee’s writings, an authorized biography, a blog and a shop with the usual celebrity array of shirts, posters, books, calendars, refrigerator magnets, widgets and wallpapers.

Ms. Lee also reacquired her father’s licensing rights from Universal Studios, which had held them for years.

‘‘They did some licensing here and there, but they seemed passive,’’ Ms. Lee said. ‘‘There was never a pro-active energy behind it.’’

In July 2008, the estate signed with a company called GreenLight to negotiate the Bruce Lee ‘‘personality rights’’ — his name, image, likeness and signature. The company also handles the rights for such celebrities as Einstein, Steve McQueen and Johnny Cash.

It is not entirely clear, however, how the Bruce Lee CelebriDuck — a rubber ducky ‘‘collectible’’ at $11.99 — or the $49 Bruce Lee lampshades help to burnish the legacy of a proud and fearsome martial artist.

A 50-part television biography was recently shown in mainland China, licensed to the state-run CCTV network. And a deal was made in the United States for a two-hour documentary on the History Channel called ‘‘How Bruce Lee Changed the World.’’

Ms. Lee’s team also established a production company, LeeWay Media, to create new ‘‘content.’’ An animated film is in the works, plus a video game, and Ms. Lee said a computer-generated film starring her father was high on her wish list.

A South Korean producer, Chul Shin, tried to strike a deal with the estate to make a such a film.

‘‘There are projects you do for money and others you do for passion,’’ said Michael Sheehy, a former talent agent in Los Angeles who is an adviser to Mr. Shin. ‘‘This was a passion project for us. It must be an extremely compelling story that honors the legacy of Bruce Lee.’’

Mr. Sheehy said the deal fell apart because the estate wanted too much creative control. He called the contractual demands ‘‘untenable,’’ and said no studio would accept them.

Ms. Lee acknowledged the seriousness of Mr. Shin’s approach but said she was unhappy with the scripts she had read. Also, test screenings of the special effects appeared rudimentary.

‘‘We have to be careful or we’ll get left with a horrible movie that everybody’s laughing at,’’ she said. ‘‘The technology has not been advanced enough. Only now is it getting close.’’

On a waterfront promenade in Hong Kong, not far from Mr. Lee’s former home, there is a small statue of the star in a fighting pose. On a recent Sunday afternoon, hundreds of tourists, mostly from mainland China, posed there for pictures, some giddy, some solemn, most of them clearly adoring.

‘‘I have no interest in Bruce Lee or the martial arts industry, and I find it all a bit ridiculous,’’ said an Australian tourist, Tom Caughlin. ‘‘But it’s fascinating to watch all the people gather around this statue. All these people. It’s amazing.’’

hkskyline
January 24th, 2010, 06:41 AM
Results of Bruce Lee's Residence Ideas Competition announced
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Government Press Release

The Organising Committee of the Ideas Competition for Bruce Lee's Residence today (January 23) announced the results of the competition after two months of careful deliberation.

The Ideas Competition for Bruce Lee's residence, launched on July 20, 2009, aimed to turn the former residence of the late Mr Bruce Lee into an attraction to commemorate Mr Lee's contribution to martial arts and the film industry. Jointly organised by The Hong Kong Institute of Architects, The Hong Kong Institute of Planners and The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors and supported by the Tourism Commission, the competition received an overwhelming response of more than 140 valid entries both local and overseas.

The competition was open to all in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas countries and comprised two categories - the Professional Group and the Open Group. Prizes were presented to the winners at the Bruce Lee's Residence Ideas Competition Prize Presentation cum Exhibition Opening Ceremony today.

A spokesman for the Tourism Commission said the competition entries were all of very high standard, adding that the winning entries would provide very creative ideas and concepts to restore the residence to its original appearance and to maximize the use of space for the provision of facilities such as an exhibition hall, audio-visual room, kung-fu corner, library and souvenir counter.

"The competition was a step forward in taking forth the restoration project. The Tourism Commission will further discuss with the owner of the residence, Mr Yu Pang-lin, various issues that would bring the project to fruition.

"Efforts will also be continued to gather information and source exhibits from various channels, including Mr Lee's family members and friends, to make this facility a real showcase of the life of the late kung-fu star," the spokesman said.

Today also marked the opening of a territory-wide roving exhibition of the competition entries. The exhibition will be staged in Hong Kong City Hall from January 23 to February 4, Hong Kong Cultural Centre from February 9 to 16, and Shatin Town Hall from February 23 to March 6.

http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201001/23/P201001230149.htm

hkskyline
February 16th, 2010, 05:29 AM
Locals dominate Bruce Lee contest
24 January 2010
SCMP

Architects from Hong Kong, Poland and Shanghai were named the winners in the professional category of a competition calling for ideas on the best way to restore Bruce Lee's former home in Kowloon Tong.

Hongkongers made a clean sweep of the open category.

The Ideas Competition for Bruce Lee's Residence drew more than 140 entries from around the world.

It was jointly organised by the Institute of Architects, the Institute of Planners and the Institute of Surveyors, with support from the Tourism Commission.

However, the organisers said the designs were just ideas and would not necessarily become a reality.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Rita Lau Ng Wai-lan said the entries reflected one of Lee's best-known quotes: "As you think, so shall you become."

She said the strong response from more than 20 countries - including African nations, Greece and the Netherlands - showed Lee's widespread influence.

With the competition wrapped up, Lau would not disclose whether the two-storey house at 41 Cumberland Road, which was at one time a love hotel, would be restored as a memorial hall for the film and martial arts legend. Lee spent his final years there before his death in 1973 at the age of 32.

Current owner Yu Pang-lin has agreed to donate the HK$100 million property. He said he had been negotiating with the government on the restoration plan and hoped it could go ahead as soon as possible.

"I'm in my 80s now, and I hope to see this project completed in my lifetime," Yu said.

Hong Kong team Jimmy Yuen Gi-tsun and Cheung Kwai-yin's Journey of Little Dragon won first prize in the professional category. Yuen, a 34-year-old landscape architect, said he was a fan of Bruce Lee. The local team's design - featuring an undulating structure resembling a dragon's body - caught the eyes of judges, including Lee's daughter, Shannon.

"I'm very excited. This is totally unexpected," Yuen said, after receiving a trophy and the HK$50,000 prize.

Polish architect Witold Opalinski's design won second prize and HK$25,000. It also resulted in his first trip to Asia, and today he will visit Lee's former home for the first time.

Opalinski, 31, said he admired Lee and had spent nearly three months working on his design, which incorporates the concept of yin and yang.

The third prize was awarded to a team from Shanghai.

Yu had planned in 2008 to sell the house and other properties to raise funds for Sichuan earthquake victims, but he decided not to go ahead with the sale after receiving pleas to preserve the property.

He later proposed to increase the floor space to 30,000 sq ft and turn it into a museum complex with a cinema, library and martial arts centre.

All entries are on show at City Hall until February 4, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre from February 9 to 16, and the Sha Tin Town Hall from February 23 to March 6.

hkskyline
February 25th, 2010, 03:31 AM
Hong Kong 'love hotel' to become Bruce Lee memorial
23 February 2010
Agence France Presse

The rundown house at 41 Cumberland Road in Hong Kong's quiet Kowloon Tong district might escape the notice of passers-by if it weren't for a sign signalling that it is a "love hotel".

Rooms are offered for rent by the hour, with a discount rate of 205 Hong Kong dollars (25 US) buying amorous couples three hours in a tatty room off a narrow hallway decorated with a poster of a topless blonde.

It is a far cry from when the building was the home of kung fu icon Bruce Lee in the years before his untimely death in 1973 at the age of 32.

"The house has definitely been altered," said Shannon Lee, the actor's daughter, who recalled snickering when she learned about the home's love hotel status in her mid-teens.

In glaring contrast to its current appearance, the now 40-year-old Lee remembers a Japanese-style pond out front, pets running around and plenty of exercise space for her father.

"I have very fond memories of it -- my father definitely valued his privacy and there was space for him to work out and the kids to run around."

The fact that guests walk in the footsteps of the kung fu star might have faded into the mists of time had it not been for fans who rallied behind a plan to turn the hotel into a Lee memorial.

Following a public uproar, billionaire owner Yu Pang-lin agreed to cancel plans to sell the property, which he says is worth 100 million Hong Kong dollars, and instead donate it to honour Lee's legacy.

Yu has said the home should be renovated to include a museum, library, a cinema and martial arts area.

Others, including Bruce Lee Club chairman Wong Yiu-keung, want the original floor plan preserved so visitors can imagine how it looked when the actor lived there.

"It should be a memorial house. After all it's his former residence," Wong said.

Lee -- who was credited with catapulting the martial arts film genre into the mainstream with films including Fists of Fury and the posthumously released Enter the Dragon -- died after a severe reaction to pain medication.

His widow, now living in the US, has provided a rough blueprint of the home's original layout to help restoration efforts.

"My mom is definitely behind it," Shannon Lee said.

"I'm really in favour of (the memorial). It could be great for Hong Kong and great for my father and his legacy. I think the primary goal should be to preserve the house as much as possible to its original condition.

"The draw of this space was that it was his home," she added. "That makes it very unique."

A local design contest ended last month, but the memorial's final look, building costs, who will pay them and when it opens remain unclear.

The tourism board is hoping the attraction can draw visitors from inside and outside the city, and boost Hong Kong's hard-hit film industry.

A statue of Lee sits on Hong Kong's Avenue of Stars, but the daily South China Morning Post has described the lack of a more significant memorial to the Hong Kong-raised hero as a "travesty."

hkskyline
August 18th, 2010, 06:58 PM
It's time we gave Bruce Lee his just deserts
14 August 2010
South China Morning Post

Mention Bruce Lee anywhere in the world and chances are the martial arts and movie icon's name will ring a bell. Few people have done more to put Hong Kong's culture and image on the global map. Indeed, there are Bruce Lee memorials scattered around the world.

Except here. A single bronze statue among the likenesses of dozens of other entertainment stars in Tsim Sha Tsui is all there is to show for what he means to us. Government foot-dragging over turning his former home in Kowloon Tong into a museum means we still don't have a site that commemorates him in the territory.

Philanthropist Yu Panglin agreed to donate the home two years ago provided basements were built to accommodate facilities including a cinema and library. To do that would require rezoning of the site and government funding. An international design competition was launched. But the authorities won't push for the change of land use, and so the project has been left hanging.

That's a shame. Rezoning is common and can be done quickly. There doesn't seem to be a good reason why we should be spurning this generous offer, which could be taken off the table at any time.

Perhaps authorities don't see Lee the same way as the people of Hong Kong and his legions of international admirers. Visitors are surprised to find that there is no landmark bearing his name or a permanent place to see memorabilia. The star died 37 years ago and there has been plenty of time to find an appropriate way to honour his name. They are stunned to learn that it was not public funds behind the statue, but donations raised by a fan club.

There's a hint of how Lee is perceived in talks over the house. The Tourism Commission - an arm of the Economic and Development Bureau - is in charge, while most museums are operated by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Perhaps it sees tourism dollars, not the celebration of a remarkable life, in the site.

We shouldn't have to justify a museum to Bruce Lee; that seems like a given. Let's cut through the bureaucracy, come to an agreement quickly with Yu - and then get on with celebrating and enshrining the life of one of the city's most famous sons.

hkskyline
February 16th, 2011, 11:17 AM
Memorial trail considered for Bruce Lee
27 November 2010
SCMP

Fans are getting their nunchakus ready to celebrate the 70th anniversary today of the birth of legendary kung fu star Bruce Lee.

But it will take more than a few swings of the deadly hinged weapons wielded by the star in his movies to break a deadlock over plans for a museum at his final home in Kowloon Tong.

Enthusiasts do, however, have something to look forward to, as the government is planning an exhibition featuring memorabilia of the star at the Heritage Museum, and is considering a Bruce Lee memorial trail.

Commissioner for Tourism Philip Yung Wai-hung said a Bruce Lee memorial path linking the star's former homes, schools and film locations was being discussed. The authority had exchanged views with the Bruce Lee Club and the two had similar ideas about the trail, he said.

Club chairman Wong Yiu-keung said the fan club proposed 10 locations for the memorial path. "I hope it will become a new tourist attraction ... it'll also be a birthday present for Bruce Lee," he said.

Starting from the Bruce Lee sculpture at the Avenue of Stars, the trail would run to the car park at Ocean Terminal where the star had a well known set of photographs taken. It would continue along Nathan Road and Waterloo Road, including stops at schools he attended: Tak Sun School, the former site of La Salle College and St Francis Xavier's College.

Locations of his former homes are also included, but new buildings have already replaced the ones Lee lived in. The last stop would be at Tuen Mun's Tsing Shan Monastery where Lee filmed scenes for Enter the Dragon in 1972. It may take fans half a day to travel along the Kowloon part of the path, and another half a day to reach Tuen Mun.

Yung said yesterday the government had yet to reach agreement on the design of the Kowloon Tong home with billionaire philanthropist Yu Panglin, who offered to donate the 5,000 square foot villa. Yu wants three basement levels, but only one such floor is possible under the current plot ratio, the formula that determines building density.

"Due to city planning concerns, the possibility of fulfilling Yu's requirements is very low ... Kowloon Tong is a low density area and any big development needs to be approved," Yung said.

The commission has collected about 100 items related to the star and they could be exhibited in the Heritage Museum by 2012, he said. "The exhibition may feature duplicates of movie scenes."

Born in San Francisco, Lee was educated in Hong Kong before he moved to the United States. He returned to the city and filmed trademark works Fist of Fury, Game of Death and Enter the Dragon.

Lee died in 1973 aged 32.

A cinema at the Hong Kong Film Archive today will show four of his early films: The Kid (1950), A Son is Born (1953), Thunderstorm (1957) and The Orphan (1960).

hkskyline
June 27th, 2011, 05:28 PM
Plans for Bruce Lee museum in Hong Kong shelved, negotiations with property owner break down
26 June 2011

HONG KONG (AP) - 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.

The statement did not elaborate.

An operator who answered the phone at Yu's offices in the southern Chinese city Shenzhen on Sunday said that his staff wasn't in.

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.

"Mr. Yu made such a high-profile gesture by donating the property, and yet we now realize those are not his intentions. We are very disappointed. I don't understand why he backtracked," Wong told The Associated Press in a phone interview.

Bruce Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee, who was also involved in the project, didn't immediately respond to an email sent to a publicist for the Bruce Lee Foundation seeking comment. Shannon Lee had also been raising funds for a museum in Seattle, where her father studied and taught martial arts.

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

News of the shelved museum plans was first reported by the South China Morning Post on Sunday.