Bruce Lee's legacy drives Foshan tourism

The legacy of Bruce Lee is expected to boost the integrated development of culture and tourism in Foshan, Guangdong province, while promoting Chinese kung fu, local authorities said during an event commemorating the late martial arts icon.

Lee not only introduced the term kung fu into the English language, but also helped elevate the martial art and Chinese culture into a symbol of humanity's cultural heritage, said Wang Jinghua, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China's Shunde district committee.

Wang made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 2025 International Bruce Lee Fans Convention and the 85th anniversary commemorative events, which kicked off on Thursday in Shunde.

The three-day event took place at Bruce Lee Paradise, a memorial site in Shunde's Jun'an township — Lee's ancestral home.

The event drew Bruce Lee fans and figures from the global martial arts community. During the gathering, the local government announced Nov 27 would be designated "Shunde Kung Fu Day" to promote Chinese culture, particularly martial arts.

Lao Lujun, Party secretary and chairwoman of Shunde Culture and Tourism Group, said the company will work to cultivate the cultural and tourism sector into a pillar industry and a well-being industry for local residents by leveraging Lee's name and global influence.

Zeng Futian, head of the Bruce Lee Paradise project, said the event is part of the district's broader efforts to promote coordinated development between culture and urban construction and integrate culture with the economy to boost high-quality growth.

For the first time, the annual convention launched a kung fu workshop that combines Shunde kung fu and local cuisine, offering visitors from home and abroad a deeper experience of Lingnan culture, organizers said.

As part of the convention, the Mars Martial Championship — a top Chinese combat sports tournament and a world-class martial arts competition — also kicked off on Friday.

Organizers said the event will showcase kung fu aesthetics and promote full-chain upgrading of Shunde's cultural and tourism industry through a "kung fu + cuisine + tourism" model. The agenda also includes an international academic forum, a martial arts and music night, and Shunde-themed kung fu tours.

Born in San Francisco, the United States, Bruce Lee (1940-1973) became an action movie superstar, celebrated for his Jeet Kune Do martial arts philosophy and mastery of the nunchaku, a traditional martial arts weapon.