Published : 2025-11-27
On 27 November 1940, the kung fu superstar and a grandmaster of martial arts of his generation, Bruce Lee (李小龍), was born in San Francisco, United States.
Bruce Lee's birth name was Lee Jun-fan (李振藩), with his ancestral roots in Shunde, Guangdong. His father was Lee Hoi-chuen (李海泉), one of the Four Great Clowns of Cantonese opera, and his mother was Grace Ho (何愛瑜), the daughter of Ho Kom-tong (何甘棠), who was the younger brother of Sir Robert Ho Tung.
As a child, Bruce Lee was very thin and weak. In order to strengthen his physique, his father had him practise Tai Chi when he was seven years old, giving him his first glimpse into the profound world of martial arts.
Bruce Lee was born in the United States, studied in Hong Kong and the U.S. After growing up, he established the "Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute" in the United States, unconventionally introducing the concepts of Chinese kung fu to the American film and television industry.
Bruce Lee returned to Hong Kong in 1971 to make films. The Big Boss (《唐山大兄》), Fist of Fury (《精武門》), and The Way of the Dragon (《猛龍過江》) are among his classic works.
Bruce Lee achieved international fame under his name. At the same time, he was passionate about martial arts. He established schools in the United States to instruct students, and by melding philosophy with practice, founded "Jeet Kune Do", establishing himself as a legendary martial artist.
Bruce Lee was the first person to spread Chinese kung fu to the entire world, and can be described as the pioneer of the "kung fu film", revolutionising the development of global martial arts and kung fu films. It is because of Bruce Lee that the term "Kung Fu" was added to English dictionaries.
