Story highlights
Kung fu tour includes martial arts class, Bruce Lee museum, dim sum
"Enter the Dragon" was filmed in Tsing Shan Monastery
Shaolin Wushu Culture Center offers two-day kung fu retreats
Calling all fans of Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and Donnie Yen.
Hong Kong may be a well-known shopping and foodie destination, but the birthplace of Chinese martial arts films now offers some butt-kicking activities and scenic attractions for kung fu fans too.
Nunchuks not mandatory.
1. Free kung fu lessons
You’ll never be able to punch like Jackie Chan, but you can pick up some basic moves to show off to family, friends and local ne’er do wells.
The weekly kung fu demonstration at Kung Fu Corner teaches introductory techniques used in traditional combat.
Instructors incorporate different weapons and kung fu styles in their routines.
Kung Fu Corner; Sculpture Walk, Kowloon Park, 22 Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon; +852 2508 1234; Sundays only, 2:30-430 p.m.
2. Selfie with Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee died 40 years ago, but a selfie with the martial arts hero is a classic Hong Kong souvenir.
You can strike a pose with Lee on the Hollywood look-alike Avenue of Stars, where a life-size bronze statue of the ’70s ass-whomping legend – striking his iconic high kick pose – stands next to the harbor front.
The statue commemorates Lee’s global martial arts triumphs in classics like “Enter the Dragon” and “Fist of Fury.”
After snapping that selfie with Bruce, you can “hold hands” with kung fu superstars Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh. Their hand prints are a few meters in front of Lee’s statue.
Avenue of Stars, Promenade, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
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3. Movie locations
In the movies, knife-wielding gangsters lurk on every Hong Kong street corner. Not exactly true in real life, but the city is loaded with spots where kung fu stars flashed their heels and beat back endless waves of thugs.
Jackie Chan filmed his death-defying act in “Police Story” at Tsim Sha Tsui’s Wing On Plaza.
The mall looks the same as it did when he leaped five stories down to its atrium.
Remember “Don’t think! Feeeeel”? That Bruce Lee moment of zen instruction in “Enter the Dragon” was shot in Tuen Mun’s Tsing Shan Monastery.
Wing On Plaza, 62 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; +852 2196 1388
Tsing Shan Monastery, Castle Peak, Hong Kong; +852 2441 6556
4. Retrace Bruce Lee’s steps
Apart from watching his movies, you can get a glimpse of Bruce Lee’s early life in Hong Kong with a visit to his high school and family home.
First stop: Bruce Lee’s alma mater – St. Francis Xavier College – where bathroom doors were his enemies. Records show that Lee destroyed the school bathroom doors while fighting his classmates. Instead of punishing Lee, a teacher advised him to join the school’s boxing team.
The rest is kung fu cinema history.
St. Francis Xavier College, Sycamore Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon
Second stop: the superstar’s former home – now a love motel. Lee’s onetime two-story family home now operates as a “romance hotel,” where guests rent rooms by the hour.
Hong Kong’s government originally planned to construct a Bruce Lee museum at the residence, but that project has been scrapped. According to reports, the owner declined to donate the house as a permanent museum space due to construction disputes.
Bruce Lee’s former home, 41 Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon
5. Kung fu retreat
To experience the spiritual side of kung fu, a visit to the Shaolin Wushu Culture Center is in order.
The center brings together the physical aspects of kung fu with the zen heart of Shaolin philosophy.
Located in Tai O, the center offers two-night martial arts courses, training camps and life enhancement exercises, away from the skyscrapers of Hong Kong.
Shaolin Wushu Culture Center, Shek Tsai Po Street, New Territories, Hong Kong; +852 2985 8898
Leaving Hong Kong behind in Tai O
6. Immersive kung fu tour
The six-hour “Wing Chun” Kung Fu Experience Tour starts with a morning lesson on wing chun, a type of kung fu specializing in close-range combat.
The class is led by Master Sam Lau – a student of Bruce Lee’s mentor, the legendary grandmaster Ip Man. The 2008 blockbuster “Ip Man” was based on his life.
Visitors can train with Lau’s teaching assistants. “Wing Chun is all about defense and attack at the same time,” says Master Lau. “The class focuses more on basic and practical skills, rather than theory.”
The young Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung once practiced their kung fu on the roof of the same building where classes are held, according to Master Lau. The “Experience” includes a guided tour of the $3.2 million “Bruce Lee: Kung Fu. Art. Life” exhibition at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum.
The superstar’s legacy is recalled through personal artifacts. Lee’s sentimental and quirky sides are evident in his hand-written poems and cha cha choreography notes.
The tour includes a dim sum lunch at the Shamrock Hotel, a spot frequented by Ip Man and Bruce Lee. According to Master Lau, Ip Man was a fan of the hotel’s sweet lotus-paste buns.
“Wing Chun” Kung Fu Experience Tour; HK$1,550 ($200)per person; +852 27232306
Hong Kong: Insider Travel Guide
