Ahead of his times

As far back as the 1960s, Lee advocated breaking away from the confines of martial arts formalities, and this concept laid the groundwork for Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA, a sport that was formalized in the 1990s.

Wong, who has restored the Lee mansion digitally, said, "He was at least 30 years ahead of his time, and his visionary mindset earned him the title of 'the father of MMA'."

By combining martial arts and cinematic art, Lee created the kung fu film genre, altering the course of global cinema. Even now, most kung fu films worldwide carry the genetic imprint of Lee's works, Wong said.

Mathias Woo Yan-wai, a cultural critic and executive director of Zuni Icosahedron, an international experimental theatre company based in Hong Kong, said Lee was the first to significantly popularize martial arts in mainstream culture, with his influence extending to art forms beyond the silver screen, including Japanese manga, or comic books, combat sports and games.

Zhang Kemin, 44, a Chinese-Canadian composer and scriptwriter, said Lee was also one of the first to transform global perceptions about the Chinese.

Moving from Beijing to Toronto during childhood, Zhang first encountered Lee's films unexpectedly on a Canadian TV channel that typically broadcast only Hollywood classics.

With Western mainstream art perpetuating stereotypes and marginalizing Chinese characters, Lee emerged as a game-changer by transforming the image of Chinese from underdogs with traditional braided hairstyles to powerful heroes, Zhang said.

Nima King, founder of Mindful Wing Chun, one of the largest kung fu schools in Hong Kong, said Lee not only shattered stereotypes about the Chinese, but of all marginalized ethnic groups.

King, who was born in Iran, moved to Australia when he was about 10. Growing up in a poor neighborhood in Sydney, and unable to speak English fluently, he could not fit in. He only made friends with other children from Asia, but this group was always given nicknames, teased and bullied by locals.

When he was 12, King and his friends watched Lee's films on video, becoming instantly drawn to him. Inspired by Lee's confidence, they felt more accepting of their identity.

Wong feels that labeling Lee only as a national hero is narrow-minded, as he embraced universal equality.

In the 1960s, Lee established a martial arts school in the United States, recruited followers from different nationalities, and changed the perception that martial arts could only be taught to adult Chinese males. In his films, he purposefully played characters from different ethnic backgrounds.

Asked during an interview whether he saw himself as Chinese or American, Lee said he thought of himself as a human being, and under the sky and heaven, there is but one family. Wong said Lee's thinking embodied an equality that transcended boundaries, countries and gender, elevating him to the status of a hero who surpassed the limitations of his time.