Bruce Lee Club to shut its clubhouse amid declining visitors

Bruce Lee Club, the fan club of the all-time martial arts legend Bruce Lee, will close its clubhouse in Kowloon Bay next month due to operational difficulties.

According to a statement posted on its official social media platform on Tuesday (Jun 24), the Club announced that it will vacate the "Unit 1127" premises at Metro Centre.

Speaking on a radio program on Wednesday (Jun 25), Wong Yiu-keung, founding chairman of the Club, noted that the clubhouse has been open to the public free of charge, relying solely on souvenir sales for revenue.

He emphasized that the number of visitors has remained low following the social unrest and the pandemic. 

Wong noted that it was not easy to make the decision and expressed gratitude to the supportive landlord for rent reduction during the pandemic despite facing adversity.

"The accumulated expenses over the six years have compelled us to rethink how to most effectively utilize our resources to sustain the flame of Bruce Lee's spirit," according to the Club's statement.

The Club has arranged Open Days for the public from this Friday (Jun 27) to next Tuesday (Jul 1), before the clubhouse closes. Meanwhile, the fans club plans to set up an exhibition for their 30th anniversary in Sham Shui Po.

Separately, Wong pointed out that the government has failed to preserve Lee's residence at 41 Cumberland Road in Kowloon Tong, despite promoting the concept of "tourism is everywhere" in Hong Kong.

The celebrity's former mansion was demolished in 2019, even after the Club initiated an international petition urging the government to protect the property.

(Judy Cui and Nathan Leung)