Bruce Lee statues unveiled in Hong Kong and Bosnia

HONG KONG – Statues of Bruce Lee were unveiled in Bosnia and his hometown of Hong Kong to mark the 65th birthday of the late screen icon credited with introducing kung fu to the world.

A bronze likeness of a muscular Lee, torso bared, was set in a harborside perch against Hong Kong's skyline Sunday as Lee's trademark howl played on a stereo system.

Another Lee statue was inaugurated Saturday in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina, a war-ravaged city where Lee has been held up as a symbol of unity.

Lee, who attended the University of Washington, taught kung fu and lived for a time in Seattle, soared to stardom in the early 1970s with his intense fighting style and by portraying characters that defended the Chinese and working class against oppressors.

He died of an edema, or swelling of the brain, at the age of 32 in 1973 in Hong Kong, with just four completed movies under his belt.

His brother, Robert Lee, who attended Sunday's unveiling in Hong Kong, said his brother left a legacy of individual expression.

"He always wanted to sort of tell people what a person can do to be able to express himself or herself (to) the fullest," Lee said.