An Urban Explorer Ventured Inside Bruce Lee's Abandoned Mansion Eerily Frozen In Time

Truth be told, it was a pretty sad sight. And we can only imagine what the place was like before, when Lee lived there. Something tells us that it was probably brimming with life, given it was around 5,700 square feet in size. Plus the Bangkok Post website reported that the martial-arts superstar had his clan with him when he based himself at the property.

So where could you find this old mansion? It was situated in Kowloon Tong – an eye-catching part of Hong Kong. If we were to describe it in one word, we’d probably say...green. Because trees pepper the entire region, with buildings and houses breaking up the natural aesthetic. It’s quite the blend!

No doubt the Kowloon Tong mansion, located in Cumberland Road, was equipped with everything that Lee would have wanted in its heyday. It had a cool gym, a home office and a beautiful yard to relax in, alongside all the other rooms on the property. A fitting abode for a man of his stature, wouldn’t you agree?

You’re probably wondering when Lee called the mansion home. And come to think of it, why did he choose this place in particular? Following his birth in California in 1940, he eventually packed his bags for Hong Kong when he was a kid. Catch your breath, though: no one buys a mansion that early on in life!

Lee spent a lengthy period of time in Hong Kong, staying there until he was 18. Despite his young age, the future superstar had racked up quite a few acting credits by that point. Between 1953 and 1955, for instance, he appeared in ten movies. That’s some effort for a teenager!

When Lee said goodbye to Hong Kong, though, he moved back to the land of his birth, kick-starting a remarkable rise that saw him become a martial-arts legend. But that didn’t mark the end of his association with the place he grew up in. Because the actor often journeyed between the two.

Lee apparently made those trips to visit his grandfather in Hong Kong. And given how frequent they were at the time, it’s no surprise that he eventually bought a place over there. But no one could’ve predicted that the house in Kowloon Tong would prove to be the star’s final home.

Because the martial artist and his clan made themselves comfortable at the property while he was just reaching new heights. By 1972 he had the world at his feet thanks to his performances in three classic movies. We’re referring to The Big Boss, Fist of Fury and Way of the Dragon. They’re still awesome!

But when Lee finally got his first crack at Hollywood, tragedy struck. With just under a month to go until the iconic Enter The Dragon hit the big screen, he passed away suddenly on July 20, 1973. The Daily Mail website reported that the cause of his death was brain swelling. Although it was also widely reported that an aspirin Lee had taken may have caused the fatal side-effect. 

Thus the world mourned the loss of a truly special talent. Plus from a film fan’s perspective, it’s incredibly bittersweet to think of what Lee might’ve done after Enter The Dragon’s success. Aside from all this, we’re still left with a pretty big question – what happened to his mansion in Kowloon Tong?

Well, some 12 months on from Lee’s passing, a man named Yu Pang-lin purchased the property. And it set him back by around a million in Hong Kong dollars in 1974, according to the Bangkok Post. That was worth around $200,000 in American currency at the time.

So what did Yu do with the house? Did he move in himself? It would’ve been quite the place to call home given its legacy. But the new owner had other ideas. And he transformed the mansion into a “love-hotel,” reported the Daily Mail website. Thus it became a building for people to hire out bedrooms and get steamy with their partners.

Didn’t see that coming, did you? But following an earthquake in Sichuan, China, in 2008, Yu looked to cash in on the building to raise money for charity. He apparently intended to use the funds to help those in need, The Bangkok Post reported. Yet his plans were halted by the cries of Lee’s devoted fan base. They didn’t want the billionaire to let it go, you see.

And those followers implored Yu to spruce up the old building, with some calling for it to be transformed into a Bruce Lee exhibition. It seemed like they’d be getting their wish, for a time. Because artist renditions of what the interior would look like started to float around – even Lee’s daughter got involved.

But all that hard work came to nothing in the end, as Yu passed away in May 2015. The owner had, at least, made it to his mid-90s by the time of his death. Thus the mansion sat abandoned in Kowloon Tong, decaying with each passing year. It became a real sad sight, and a little hard to accept. An icon used to live there for goodness sake!

Yet just because the house wasn’t in use, that didn’t mean it had no value. According to a video on the Exploring With Josh YouTube channel in 2018, Lee’s old home was priced at roughly HK$100 million. That’s the equivalent of more than $12.8 million in U.S. currency today.

Despite the state it was left in, though, people didn’t forget about the place. And over the last few years, urban explorers have taken a closer look at the building, documenting their findings on video. One of those was the YouTuber, ILLSIGHT. So are you ready to take a tour?

Let’s kick things off outside the property. The house is guarded by a solid concrete wall at the front, with a gate at the center. It almost feels like a border crossing. Beyond that lies the courtyard out front. And it’s fair to say that this area has probably seen better days. The surrounding greenery is overgrown, while a metal structure stands ominously over a set of parking spaces.

The mansion itself looks washed out with its drab colors. And from this angle, it wouldn’t seem out of place in a movie about a haunted house! Yet the weirdest addition can be found on the right-hand side. We’re referring to the striped tarp near the entrance. What could you call that? The grocery bag pattern?

You’ll find a strangely beautiful stone garden to the courtyard’s left, leading to the side of the mansion. But the creepy vibe rears its head again. Because the surrounding wall here is topped by metal bars, which also house rolls of barbed wire. It’s starting to feel more like a prison than a residence...

To the right of this unsettling alley sits a standalone room. It’s actually an outdoor kitchen. Incredibly, a couple of fridges are still standing in the corner, with a big shelving unit resting against the back wall. Yes, that’s a portable stove on the counter, too. Although we don’t want to know what’s inside that wok.

We can’t help but get the impression that this place was suddenly ditched while people were still staying here. Because cutlery continues to hang from the wall, and cloves of garlic sit on the shelves never to be cooked. It’s really spooky. Stick with us, though! As it’s time to head inside...

Let’s start our tour of the interior on the ground floor. The front doors boast an intriguing design – they’re essentially two panes of glass in a frame, with metal bars running down them at a diagonal angle. The marble floor in the entrance way is certainly befitting of a mansion, although it’s littered with muck and debris.

As we move in a little further, we come across the first bedroom on this floor. And truth be told, it’s very eerie. The bed itself looks like it’s just been freshly made, with cabinets sitting on either side. The only sign that suggests it’s been unattended for a while is the animal mess on the quilt. Possibly stray cats or dogs have gotten inside...or live here. 

If you think this is eye-catching, though, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Because the next bedroom really does feel like an eerie time capsule. The mattress alone has a retro-like aesthetic with its shape, topped off by a curved headboard. It’s kind of seedy. Then there’s the table and mirror at the far end of it.

Just look at all the paperwork on here! You could fill a few folders with this stuff. Plus there’s a bottle sitting on top too, as well as a working stamp. Oh, and we can’t forget about the hanging, creaseless, shirts on the wall either. Was this the room of a hotel staffer, for example, or a paying customer? Or even perhaps two lovers meeting up to cheat on their spouses...To say this room is frozen in time would be a huge understatement.

Yet the following space gives that room a run for its money. Bathed in darkness, it appears to be an office of sorts. The main desk is covered in equipment, ranging from an old discolored retro telephone to a small tray of nails and screws. The above shelves are also stacked. Talk about creepy.

Now it’s time to head down that scary-looking corridor. Ready? Okay then. There are a few more bedrooms in this area, including one that seems a lot fancier than the others on the ground floor. As for the actual hallway, an abandoned trolley sits at the side, full of white bedding and towels.

From what we’ve seen so far, The Shining’s Overlook Hotel has nothing on this place! And our tour isn’t even finished yet. So without further ado, let’s make our way upstairs to explore the remaining rooms in the mansion. How do they match up to those on the first floor?

We’ll start in this bedroom. Much like some of the other spaces downstairs, this is a sizable suite, boasting a huge bed in the middle. There’s even a mini-couch positioned in the far corner. It’s wild to think that this isn’t a functioning room inside an active residence. It doesn’t look abandoned at all.

That can be said about the next room as well. The YouTuber ILLSIGHT films a double bed and a couch sitting in here, just waiting for someone to use them. But as we move over to the mirror and table in the corner, the eeriness ratchets up one more time. Because there’s a tray with two empty glasses.

And to the left of this, you’ll also spot an ashtray full of cigarette ends. Let’s hope there aren’t any recent butts nestled among them! So do you fancy taking a peek at the bathroom in this space? It’ll be interesting to see how it measures up to the bedroom itself.

Well, if you needed any more reminding that this place became a “love-hotel” after Bruce Lee’s passing, this area will do it. Because ILLSIGHT films what looks like a hot-tub in the corner, with towels still hanging off the wall. And by the sink, sachets of “skin whitering” cream sit unopened on the shelf.

But now things are going to get a little messy. Because up to this point, the interior of the mansion hasn’t looked too bad considering it’s been abandoned for so long. Yet that’s about to change. The following room is literally rotting away, especially the ceiling. It hasn’t touched the shower, though – that cubicle has always been a grotty green shade!

Speaking of crazy colors, that brings us to the final room on our tour. This space still has a television sitting on the shelf, overlooking the bed in the middle. It’s pretty similar to the other bedrooms in the mansion, yet you can’t say that about its bathroom. This thing is an entirely different animal.

Just look at the bath. It’s red! So’s the sink. And the grungy wallpaper in the space does little to cleanse your eyes. This is a 1970s’ bathroom if we ever did see one, perfectly frozen in time. Plus it’s a weirdly fitting place to conclude the tour.

That was quite the journey, right? You’d never have guessed that someone like Bruce Lee once called that place home just by looking at the interior. Actually you can understand why his fans wanted it to get a revamp. But here’s some news for you: that ILLSIGHT exploration video is a couple of years old now. And it makes you wonder what kind of state the mansion is in today...could things have changed for the better?...

Sorry to disappoint – but the house isn’t there anymore. Because back in the summer of 2019, it was announced that Lee’s old residence would be bulldozed. There were apparently deep “structural problems” that couldn’t be fixed, according to the Bangkok Post. So a decision was made to construct a Chinese studies’ center in its place.

And by October 2019 the mansion was gone. Yet it’s fair to say that some people still weren’t happy about the change. Wong Yiu-keung was particularly forthright in that respect, as the Bruce Lee Club leader shared his displeasure with the media. So it’s a sad end for a property that arguably deserved much better – given the legend who once lived there. But at least it’s being put to some good use to help future generations.