A tourist strikes a pose in front of the statue of late Hong Kong martial arts and film star Bruce Lee on the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong on June 26, 2011. Hong Kong has cancelled plans to turn Bruce Lee's old home, once a rundown love hotel, into a museum dedicated to the late martial arts legend, the government said on June 26. - AFP Photo

HONG KONG: Hong Kong has shelved plans to turn Bruce Lee's old home, which later became a rundown love hotel, into a museum dedicated to the martial arts legend, the government said Sunday.

Fans of the icon, who died in 1973 at the age of 32, have long called for a museum in Lee's hometown and the idea appeared set to become reality after the wealthy owner of Lee's former home entered into talks with city officials two years ago to hash out a museum blueprint.

Long after Lee's death, the property turned into a love hotel that was rented for as little as $25 an hour to amorous couples.

“Despite our efforts, we are unable to reach a consensus with the property owner over the scope of the restoration,” Hong Kong's Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said in a statement.

Officials did not elaborate, but billionaire philanthropist Yu Panglin had insisted that the property would only be donated for a museum if it was expanded to include a cinema, library and martial arts training centre, the South China Morning Post reported.

Because the city's tourism commission had gathered “over a hundred artifacts” related to Lee, officials said they would instead organise an exhibition “to showcase Mr Lee's life and his contributions to the development of film and kung fu culture.”The exhibit was slated to open in late 2012, the statement said.

Last year, Hong Kong held an international competition for ideas on how to redesign the house in the bustling city's Kowloon district.

Lee - 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 medication.

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

“My mom is definitely behind it,” Lee's daughter Shannon told AFP last year. “I'm really in favour of (the museum). It could be great for Hong Kong and great for my father and his legacy.” Shannon Lee could not be immediately reached Sunday.

Opinion

Editorial

Trumpian purge
Updated 27 Jan, 2025

Trumpian purge

For Trump and his MAGA support base, these moves are necessary to preserve what they view as the American way of life.
World Bank’s view
27 Jan, 2025

World Bank’s view

PAKISTAN is at a critical point. Inconsistent and poor economic policies of the past have had an adverse impact on...
Learning losses
27 Jan, 2025

Learning losses

WHEN thermometers in Lahore hit 48°C last May, it led to closures across the region. From Dhaka to Manila, some ...
Gag orders
Updated 26 Jan, 2025

Gag orders

Coercive policies must be abandoned for constitutional freedoms to be inviolable.
Murder on the seas
26 Jan, 2025

Murder on the seas

IT is time Pakistan asserted itself more forcefully and played a bigger role in busting international human...
A free lunch
26 Jan, 2025

A free lunch

THE federal government appears to have gone back on its word to rescind the facility of free electricity for both...