Bruce lee's legacy packs powerful punch

Philosophical concepts

Woo, the cultural critic, said another reason Lee is not forgotten is that he imbued martial arts with deep Chinese philosophical traditions. In the 1971 US television crime drama Longstreet, Lee spoke one of his best-known lines: "Be formless, shapeless, like water. Put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. Put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot."

Woo said this line originates from Tao Te Ching, a classical Chinese text and foundational Taoism work written in about 400 BC by the sage Laozi. The work contains these words, "The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to."

Such enduring philosophies give Lee a depth of thought that prevents him from becoming dated, Woo said.

In 1961, Lee enrolled at the University of Washington, where he took extensive philosophy courses and avidly read texts by Eastern and Western thinkers. He actively engaged with their ideas, writing many articles about them.

To mark the 50th anniversary of Lee's death, Zhang watched the 1973 film Enter the Dragon, which he viewed dozens of times as a child. This time, he was moved to tears.

"When I was a kid, I only saw the cool martial arts moves. Now, I can appreciate Lee's remarkable philosophical ideas," Zhang said.

Heritage plea

Wong said that in view of Lee's global appeal, Hong Kong should make better use of his cultural heritage. Many previous commemorations, such as the Tsim Sha Tsui statue, were initiated by the community, rather than the government, Wong said. He added that there is also no dedicated Bruce Lee museum or memorial in Hong Kong, and the city has long lacked a policy to preserve celebrity residences and culture.

Lee could be the trigger for the government to explore a comprehensive cultural heritage protection system, Wong suggested.

King said Hong Kong could develop more Lee attractions, while Nelsson proposed that Nov 27 be designated Bruce Lee Day for themed events in shops, cinemas, restaurants and other venues to attract visitors and business. Woo called for a Lee museum to be established to enrich tourism and culture.