Bruce Lee House: Visit His Homes in Guangzhou, Foshan and Hong Kong, China

Bruce Lee House

Bruce Lee will always be noted as one of the most known martial artists of all time. His native residences in China one in Yongqing Fang, Guangzhou, and the other in Foshan attract worldwide fans every year. The Guangzhou house presents classic Xiguan buildings and family items, and the Foshan house is located in a remote village where his grandfather used to reside.

This guide will discuss all Bruce Lee homes that you can visit nowadays and give you a useful information on the hours, transportation and what to expect there.

Quick Facts about Bruce Lee House & Heritage Sites

The Surprising Truth About Multiple Locations

Entrance of Bruce Lee House

A Life Across Three Continents

There is no one answer to the question where is Bruce Lee house. The man was born in San Francisco, grew up in Hong Kong, and his roots were in Guangdong Province. Every place has a building that is associated with his name- however, with completely different stories.

In Guangzhou, the Bruce Lee house is in the side of the family of his father. In 1947, it was purchased by his father Lee Hoi-chuen as an investment in property. Bruce himself had never lived there. The Foshan ancestral home date is even earlier: his grandfather constructed it and Bruce had visited it during his youth as a young man.

Next there is the Hong Kong tie. Bruce Lee also bought a mansion in 41 Cumberland road, Kowloon Tong after becoming rich through his films. He stayed there with his wife and children between 1972-1973. Bruce Lee house in Hong Kong is no more. After unsuccessful preservation, it was destroyed in 2019 with a new building being erected in its place.

The two places to visit in China include Guangzhou and Foshan as the main places that visitors should visit. They both are English-language museums. San Francisco place of birth has a small plaque. Seattle holds his grave site. It is a guide to all of them, what to see, what they have changed and how to get there without wasting time.

Bruce Lee House in Guangzhou — The Yongqing Fang Ancestral Home

What to Expect Inside the Bruce Lee Ancestral Home

The exhibition gives much emphasis on family history indoors. One of the rooms is devoted to the family tree of the Lee family, consisting of photos and documents. The next picture draws attention to the father of Bruce Lee, who was a renowned name in the Cantonese opera practice as one of the Four Great Comedians. Holographic screens depict martial arts moves in 3D - however, to be frank, the technology is somehow out of date by the year.

Visitor Reviews & Real Experience

A Singaporean visitor remarked that it was not a place to sightsee indoors and liked the traditional architecture. That's a fair assessment. The exhibition rooms are small. Amateur tourists could complete within 20 minutes.

Also in the neighborhood is the Yongqing Fang where there is the addition of value to the visit. The district was majorly renovated in recent years. Coffee shops, old fashioned clothing shops, and little galleries are now housed on old brick buildings. There are bronze statues that represent ordinary Guangzhou life randomly located. There is the scent of milk tea in the stalls around. I was wasting a lot of time in these lanes than in the real museum. If you're planning to spend more time exploring the city beyond the Bruce Lee house, our Guangzhou city tour guide covers the best routes.

Bruce Lee Ancestral Home in Foshan — Where His Roots Run Deepest

The Humble Birthplace of a Legend's Family

The Foshan Bruce Lee ancestral home is located in the Junan Town in Shing Village, approximately 60 kilometers close to Guangzhou city. This house was constructed by Bruce Lee grandfather Lee Zhenbiao. This property has a stronger family foundation as compared to the Guangzhou property.

The building is modest. Just 51 square meters total. A kitchen, a small courtyard, one bedroom and a main hall. Grand masonry, black roof tiles, common Lingnan village style. Nothing grand about it. The walls contain film stills, a family history in brief, both in Chinese and English, and a wooden Wing Chun training stake. The hall has an incense table where Lee family paid tribute to their ancestors.

Bruce Lee had actually stepped in this house, albeit, it was a short visit. He was brought up primarily in Hong Kong, not Guangzhou, China. Nevertheless, martial arts enthusiasts tend to focus on the Foshan location rather than Guangzhou. Generations of Lees lived here before the family scattered across continents. It is the same courtyard his grandfather exercised in decades ago. Here the association feels more real.

Bruce Lee Paradise — The World's Largest Tribute

Bruce Lee Paradise (李小龙乐园) is approximately 15 minutes by car away, and it is something entirely different. The park covers a total of close to 3,000 acres of Lingnan hillside. Hard to miss is the main attraction, which is 18.8 meters of bronze statue of Bruce Lee which is the largest in the world. Estimated cost of building is about 2million yuan. It is visible through the parking lot.

The Bruce Lee Memorial Hall internal area measures 5, 000 square meters. Exhibits follow his life since his childhood in Hong Kong to Hollywood stardom. Film costumes, training equipment, there are quote of philosophy on the walls. The design of the museum resembles the traditional Lingnan residential style, and it seems to be fitting due to the location. If you're curious about the martial arts tradition that shaped Bruce Lee's fighting style, our guide to Foshan Wing Chun covers where to watch authentic kung fu demonstrations and visit Ip Man's memorial hall.

The Hong Kong Bruce Lee House That No Longer Exists

Bruce Lee House in Hongkong

41 Cumberland Road — From Mansion to Love Hotel to Demolition

In Kowloon Tong, in 41 Cumberland Road, was the most famous Bruce Lee house in Hong Kong. I mean stood, because now it is gone. Demolished in September 2019. The mansion was purchased in 1972 at the time when Bruce Lee became a star in Asia as a result of The Big Boss and Fist of Fury. The house was a big investment, as Kowloon Tong was (and continues to be) one of the richest neighbourhoods in Hong Kong. He went to live with his wife Linda and his two children. There are old pictures of Brandon Lee as he rides his bicycle in the courtyard when he is very young. People there referred to the location as the Nest of Crane.

Bruce Lee died in July 1973. He lived there barely a year. Once he died, the property was bought by mainland businessman Yu Pang-lin of Golden Harvest founder Raymond Chow at about HK 1 million. The next thing that took place is almost ridiculous: Yu turned the former residence of Bruce Lee into a love hotel. The mansion that a kung fu legend used to stay has been renting the rooms per hour to couples who needed privacy over the decades. There were curtains on the entrance that prevented the view of the cars of visitors.

It took years of push by the fans to transform it into a museum. The Hong Kong government was not much interested. In 2019, engineers discovered structural issues that would cost HK$20 million as an approximate. Demolition was determined cheaper by the Yu Panglin Charitable Trust. The chairman of the Bruce Lee Club, Wong Yiu-keung informed reporters that he was disappointed and angry.

What Remains Today & Virtual Alternatives

Today in Cumberland Road, you have a new private building constructed at 41 Cumberland road. The Yu Panglin Charitable Trust turned the location into a Chinese studies center and the private club. No public access. A few fragments survived.Bruce Lee also had mosaic tiles placed against an external wall, and they are still visible on the street. The new building allegedly uses four window frames from the old one.

That’s all. A Hong Kong firm named Prizm Group created a 1:1 VR recreation of the original mansion in 2023, and it is called Revival of the Memory: Bruce Lee Home in the Metaverse. The project faithfully recreates details such as the garden layout and entry gate. Whether a virtual stroll satisfies an itch on a computer screen is entirely your choice. Other Bruce Lee landmarks are still present in Hong Kong. The statue of bronze at Avenue of stars in Tsim Sha Tsui attracts audiences every day. It is free, open all the time and in fact photogenic in the background of the harbor.

Why Fans Still Search for This Demolished Bruce Lee House

Individuals continue to type in Bruce Lee house Hong Kong despite the demolition of the structure. I think I understand why.

This wasn't just any property. That was the last year Bruce Lee spent there. Where he broke his breakfast with his children. Where he must have drilled Wing Chun forms at break of day when the city was asleep. Physical spaces have heavy baggage that cannot be captured by photos and VR headsets.

Even when you are a fan and visit the Kowloon Tong, you will still have time to go through the Cumberland Road. The street alone is devoid of life, and is lined with trees. Go out there at number 41 and take a snap of what shows now, give your condolences in a fashion of your choosing. The wall forgot that once the dragon dwelt here.

Beyond the Houses — Bruce Lee's San Francisco & Seattle Connection

Pictures Related to Bruce Lee

San Francisco — Where the Dragon Was Born

In case you are looking to find a Bruce Lee house in San Francisco, you will not find it. Nonetheless, his origin story is in the city.

Bruce Lee was born there on November 27, 1940 at the Chinese Hospital, 845 Jackson Street in the very center of Chinatown. His father Lee Hoi-chuen was performing with a Cantonese opera group. The hospital has a commemorative plaque located in the lobby filled in 1998 in the 25th anniversary of the death of Bruce Lee. The building has been outside a few times hence the walls are not that old.

Bruce baby spent a short time in 18 Trenton Street, with his mother, as his father completed the tour. Several months after that, the family came back to Hong Kong. Bruce would not return to America until 1959, when he was sent away by his parents, in part to avoid the street gang issues. On that visit, he remained in 654 Jackson Street some three months before relocating to Seattle.

These San Francisco speeches do not serve as museums. You can pass by them, take a picture, however, there is nothing to access. Bruce Lee Statue in Portsmouth square, the Chinese Historical Society of America has been raising funds to build a statue in his honor. By the beginning of 2025, the project is still at the planning level.

Seattle — His American Home and Final Resting Place

Seattle is where Bruce Lee chose to rest. Not Hong Kong. Not San Francisco. He considered this city his American home.

Bruce Lee and his son Brandon are buried side by side at Lake View Cemetery on Capitol Hill. Brandon died in 1993 during filming of The Crow—a prop gun accident at age 28. Their graves sit near the top of a hill with views toward Puget Sound. Simple headstones. Nothing elaborate.

Tripadvisor reviewers describe the experience as "powerful and emotional." One wrote it's "a must trip for any martial artist to pay their respect." Another mentioned meeting "a friendly elderly man who sits at the grave site daily" and knew Bruce Lee personally. Visitors often leave flowers, stones, and small tokens. The graves are well-maintained and easy to find—look for the flagpole near the hilltop.

FAQ About Bruce Lee House

Q: Where is Bruce Lee's house?

Bruce Lee had multiple houses across his lifetime. The most accessible Bruce Lee house for visitors is his ancestral home in Guangzhou's Yongqing Fang district, which operates as a free museum. His family also has an ancestral home in Foshan's Jun'an Town. His Hong Kong mansion at 41 Cumberland Road was demolished in 2019. For American connections, San Francisco has his birthplace plaque, while Seattle holds his grave site.

Q: Can you visit Bruce Lee's house in Hong Kong?

Unfortunately, no. The owner demolished the famous Bruce Lee house in Hong Kong at 41 Cumberland Road in September 2019 after years of controversy. The site is now a private property and not open to visitors. However, fans can still see Bruce Lee's bronze statue on the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui, which remains Hong Kong's main tribute to the kung fu legend.

Q: Did Bruce Lee actually live in his Guangzhou ancestral home?

No, Bruce Lee never lived in the Guangzhou Bruce Lee house. His father Lee Hoi-chuen purchased this property in 1947, and it served as home to his father and sister. Bruce was born in San Francisco, grew up in Hong Kong, and only visited Guangdong briefly. The house is now a museum honoring the Lee family's heritage and Bruce's global legacy.

Q: What are the opening hours for Bruce Lee house in Guangzhou?

The Bruce Lee ancestral home in Guangzhou is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It's closed on Mondays. Admission is free. The best time to visit is on weekday mornings to avoid crowds. Allow about 45 minutes to one hour for a complete tour of the exhibition.

Q: Where did Bruce Lee live in San Francisco?

Bruce Lee was born at Chinese Hospital (845 Jackson Street) in San Francisco's Chinatown in 1940. As an infant, he lived briefly at 18 Trenton Street. When he returned to the US in 1959 at age 18, he stayed at 654 Jackson Street for about three months before moving to Seattle. None of these Bruce Lee houses in San Francisco are museums today.

Q: Is there a Bruce Lee museum in China?

Yes, several. The largest is the Bruce Lee Memorial Hall inside Bruce Lee Paradise in Foshan, covering 5,000 square meters with exhibits on his life, films, and martial arts philosophy. The Bruce Lee ancestral home in Guangzhou's Yongqing Fang also functions as a smaller museum. Both offer English descriptions for international visitors.

Q: How do I get to Bruce Lee's ancestral home in Foshan?

The Bruce Lee house in Foshan is located in Jun'an Town, Shunde District—about 60km from Guangzhou. Public transportation is limited, so renting a car or using Didi (China's Uber) is recommended. From Guangzhou, expect about one hour of travel time. Many visitors combine this with a trip to Bruce Lee Paradise and the nearby Lee Family Ancestral Hall.

Q: Why was Bruce Lee's Hong Kong house demolished?

The Bruce Lee house at 41 Cumberland Road was demolished in 2019 due to structural problems discovered during engineering assessments. The Yu Panglin Charitable Trust, which owned the property, originally planned to preserve it as a museum but found renovation costs prohibitive (estimated HK$20 million). The site now houses a Chinese studies center and private club.

Q: Where is Bruce Lee buried?

Bruce Lee rests at Lake View Cemetery in Seattle, Washington—not in any of his houses. He chose Seattle as his final resting place because he considered it his American home. His son Brandon Lee rests beside him. The grave site attracts thousands of visitors annually and remains free to visit during cemetery hours.

Q: How many hours did Bruce Lee sleep each day?

While not directly related to his houses, Bruce Lee reportedly slept only about 4 to 6 hours per night. He was known for his intense discipline, spending early mornings on physical training and late nights studying philosophy and martial arts. Visitors to his ancestral homes can see exhibits about his rigorous daily routines and training philosophies.