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Following is the translation of the speech by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mrs Rita Lau, at the Bruce Lee's Residence Ideas Competition prize presentation cum exhibition opening ceremony today (January 23):
Mr Yu, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon. I have great pleasure in welcoming all of you to this prize presentation cum exhibition opening ceremony of the Bruce Lee's Residence Ideas Competition.
We all look forward to the early restoration of Mr Bruce Lee's former residence in Kowloon Tong to commemorate the life and achievements of Mr Lee so that his fans, Kung Fu lovers, as well as the locals and visitors alike may pay tribute to him. The successful completion of the Bruce Lee's Residence Ideas Competition marks another milestone in our efforts towards this end.
We are delighted at the overwhelming response to the competition from around the world. A total of over 140 valid entries were received, including 71 from Hong Kong, 18 from the Mainland, Taiwan and Macau, and 56 from overseas. Some of the winners have specially travelled from the Mainland or overseas to Hong Kong to receive their prizes today. I believe that you would agree, after viewing the exhibits, that the entries for both the open and professional groups are truly creative and of a very high standard. They have indeed showcased Mr Lee's renowned philosophy of martial arts: As you think, so shall you become.
I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the various parties who have helped to make the competition a success, notably Mr Yu Pang-lin, who not only initiated the competition, but has also served as the Hononary Chairman of the Adjudication Panel, and sponsored the prizes for the competition.
I am also thankful to Mr Bruce Lee's family for their wholehearted support. Mr Lee's widow, Linda, personally helped prepare a layout plan of the former residence for our reference. His daughter Shannon made a special trip to Hong Kong from the United States to participate in the adjudication work.
To organise a global competition of such a scale involves considerable resources. I would like to thank the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, the Hong Kong Institute of Planners and the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors for their joint efforts in organising the competition. My thanks also go to the Professional Advisor, the Organising Committee, the Jurors and the Technical Committee, who have all worked on a voluntary basis, for their commitment and contribution towards the competition.
I believe that we can, through this competition, pool together creative ideas and concepts for the restoration of Mr Bruce Lee's former residence. Meanwhile, we would continue to collect information on Mr Bruce Lee and exhibits for the future facility, with a view to enabling the restored residence to capture the life story of one of the greatest legends of our time.
Thank you.
Ends/Saturday, January 23, 2010
Issued at HKT 17:40
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