A 7.6-foot-tall bronze statue of martial arts star Bruce Lee in Los Angeles' Chinatown. /Xinhua Photo
Penetrating kung fu craze into the West
Lee is worldwide renowned as the martial artist who really started the kung fu craze around the world and has elevated the kung fu film genre to a new level of popularity and acclaim, sparking a surge of interest in Chinese kung fu in the West in the 1970s. Lee’s first major role in the 1971 film "The Big Boss" instantly propelled him to stardom across Asia. Later, Lee exploded in popularity in Hollywood via his remarkable performance in Warner Brothers' Enter the Dragon (1973). In 1993, Lee honored with a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Foundation named after Bruce Lee was founded in 2002, aiming to provide financial assistance to students and families within the US, as well as encourage people to strive for honest self-expression in alignment with their mind, body, and spirit.
Nowadays, the most-viewed video on Youtube about Lee has received more than 75 million hits. People are still willing to see films and documentaries about his legendary martial expressions, wonder about his mysterious death and imitates his martial art movements. After all these years, Lee’s spirit is still inspiring the generations: to bridge culture gaps across countries via the promotion of Chinese kung fu.
