Statue of Bruce Lee (Los Angeles)

A statue of Bruce Lee is located in Chinatown, Los Angeles, commemorating the martial artist of the same name.

Bruce Lee statue
The statue in 2015
Map
34°03′54″N 118°14′15″W / 34.065109°N 118.237426°W / 34.065109; -118.237426
LocationChinatown, Los Angeles
MaterialBronze
Height7 feet
Opening dateJune 15, 2013
Dedicated toBruce Lee

History

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The 7-foot bronze sculpture of Bruce Lee was created by an unknown artist in Guangzhou, China and depicts Lee in a martial arts stance and holding nunchucks.[1] It was transported to Los Angeles, California after a five-year effort by Lee's daughter Shannon, and is the only statue of her late father in the United States. Its unveiling occurred on June 15, 2013 to a crowd of hundreds, including ground-breaking Asian American actor James Hong. It was permanently installed on a commemorative pedestal and unveiled on September 28, 2018 at a ceremony attended by Shannon Lee and California State Senator Kevin de Leon.[1] Its permanent installation will not occur until the erection of spectator seating and a concrete plinth.[2]

Although born in San Francisco’s Chinatown, Lee opened a martial arts school in Los Angeles' Chinatown and was a fixture there during the filming of the 1960s television series The Green Hornet.[3] The statue is located near the pedestrian intersection of Sun Mun Way and Jung Jing Road in Chinatown's Central Plaza, not far from the life-size 1961 bronze statue of Sun Yat-Sen.[4] Weighing in at about 1,595 pounds (723.47 kg), the Bruce Lee statue has become a cultural mecca for Lee's fans, who are regularly seen taking selfies while poised in martial arts stances.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Statue of Bruce Lee permanently installed in Los Angeles Chinatown". Xinhua North America News. 30 September 2018. Archived from the original on September 30, 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  2. ^ Shyong, Frank (June 16, 2013). "Bruce Lee statue unveiled in L.A.'s Chinatown". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  3. ^ "Roadside America - Big Bronze Bruce Lee". Archived from the original on 2016-12-27. Retrieved 2016-12-27.
  4. ^ "Explore Asian American Landmarks & Monuments in Los Angeles". Discover Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  5. ^ "LA Weekly - Bruce Lee's Huge Bronze Statue Turns Into a Mecca in L.A.'s Chinatown". Archived from the original on 2018-01-04. Retrieved 2016-12-27.