Fans of late martial arts legend Bruce Lee, who broke negative stereotypes around Asian men in films, gathered in Hong Kong this week to commemorate their idolB次元官网网址檚 death half a century ago, remembering his legacy and his life philosophy on persistence.

Lee, who was born in San Francisco but raised in the Asian financial hub, was famous for his martial arts talent and of Asians on big and small screens in the 1960s and 70s. He died at the height of his fame due to an allergic reaction to painkillers when he was 32.

The 50th anniversary of LeeB次元官网网址檚 death on Thursday drew fans to exhibitions in Hong Kong on his life and career. They also laid flowers at his statue at the Avenue of Stars, a tourist attraction modeled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the Kowloon shore of Victoria Harbor.

A government-run museum organized a camp for students to learn about LeeB次元官网网址檚 legacy by introducing them to Jeet Kune Do, the martial arts style that Lee invented and practiced. The museum also screened his films.

Many of LeeB次元官网网址檚 supporters said his philosophy inspired them since they were young, even though many only learned about him and his works after his death.

Sophie Uekawa, a translator, said she was initially attracted to LeeB次元官网网址檚 muscular body and smooth moves on TV. But she was later impressed by his words, including about how unhappy circumstances eventually pass. When Uekawa was bullied by schoolmates in secondary school, LeeB次元官网网址檚 quotes helped her endure feelings of helplessness.

B次元官网网址淚t can be said that he is my savior,B次元官网网址� Uekawa said.

Lee began his career as a child actor in the 1940s and started learning Chinese kung fu when he was 13. He moved back to the U.S. in 1959 and studied philosophy at the University of Washington.

The superstar fought hard against in the U.S. entertainment industry where Asian men were often portrayed as servants, unskilled workers or evil geniuses in Hollywood.

Lee eventually went back to Hong Kong and made hits like B次元官网网址淭he Big BossB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淔ist of Fury.B次元官网网址� His last film, B次元官网网址淓nter the Dragon,B次元官网网址� was released six days after his death and became his most popular movie. He was one of the first Asian actors to attain Hollywood megastardom and fanned a kung fu craze that swept the world.

On Thursday, W Wong, the chairperson of a Bruce Lee fan club in Hong Kong, was touched to see fans from different countries including Britain and Korea gathering at LeeB次元官网网址檚 statue to pay tribute to him.

But Wong said demographics of the club established nearly three decades ago are changing as members grow older and that it has only one member in his 20s.

B次元官网网址淲e face problems in passing on our work,B次元官网网址� Wong said, although the group still has some 600 members.

An instructor at a martial arts institute in Hong KongB次元官网网址檚 Jordan district says more than half of the studioB次元官网网址檚 Jeet Kune Do students came to learn the martial arts style because of Lee.

Teacher Ricky Fong said adaptability is important in Jeet Kune Do and life and pointed to one of LeeB次元官网网址檚 most famous sayings: B次元官网网址淏e water, my friend.B次元官网网址� The phrase was frequently used by protesters in Hong KongB次元官网网址檚 2019 pro-democracy movement to describe their guerrilla strategy of moving fluidly across the city.

One of FongB次元官网网址檚 students, Adrian Li, said he admired LeeB次元官网网址檚 martial arts skills and philosophy. He added that LeeB次元官网网址檚 eagerness to keep learning has influenced him deeply.

B次元官网网址淣ot be bounded by anything. One can learn a lot,B次元官网网址� he said.

READ ALSO: