Bruce Lee was one of my first heroes. Of course, by the time I learned who he actually was, he was dead. Bruce Lee died under mysterious circumstances on July 20, 1973 at the age of 32, but he still remains a pop culture icon along the lines of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe even 35 years after his death.
Now, a billionaire has decided to open Bruce’s own Graceland to the world. Bruce and his family were based in Seattle, WA, but he was in Hong Kong filming when he died. Now, hotel and real estate mogul Yu Panglin has decided that the last home in which Bruce lived should be turned into a museum.
Panglin had original had the house up for sale, but after an outcry by fans, he decided the 5,699 square foot northern Hong Kong home should be preserved. He has donated the property and the house to the government to be used as a museum, stating that all profits raised by the house would go to charity.
While the house will remain as is, there will be more buildings added to the property including a library, a martial arts center, and a movie house. This is something fans have wanted for years. And, if you think Panglin didn’t make a sacrifice, think again – he was offered as much as $13 million for the house, but turned it down. Wong Yiu-keung, the chairman of the Bruce Lee Club of Hong Kong called the gift “very generous” and thinks the museum will attract a lot of visitors to Hong Kong.
However, the government will have to cooperate to make this all happen. Right now, the home is in a residential area and the government will have to approve a proposal that the land be reclassified for commercial use. Wong doesn’t foresee any problem and the Hong Kong tourism board has said it “welcomes all initiatives that support the promotion of Hong Kong as a tourist destination.”
Hong Kong has already paid homage to the famed martial artist with a statue erected in his memory. The bronze statue, that stands over eight feet tall, was paid for by fans of the late actor and unveiled by his brother Robert in 2005, on the 65th anniversary of Bruce’s birth.