Licence plate honouring Bruce Lee bought for bargain HK$40,000

A licence plate bearing the name Bruce Lee was snapped up by a fan of the legendary martial arts star for HK$40,000 at a government auction yesterday.

The winning bidder, a Mr Wong, said he had planned to pay as much as HK$1 million for the plate and would consult Lee's widow before deciding what it should be used for.

As a devout fan of the late kung-fu king, he said he might display the plate at the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui so others could also appreciate it.

'When I studied in Britain, I saw that foreigners only knew Bruce Lee and chairman Mao Zedong ,' he said. 'Bruce Lee was great and he contributed a lot to China. He has influenced people from a few generations and his influence can still be felt today.'

Mr Wong had also applied for the name 'Bruce Lee' under the personalised vehicle registration marks scheme, in which car owners can apply to the Transport Department for a number plate using a combination of eight numbers, letters or blanks.

A total of 240 licence plates were sold at yesterday's auction at the Convention and Exhibition Centre. The proceeds - HK$7.89 million - will be used to tackle poverty.

The highest price paid at the auction was HK$450,000 for 'FC', followed by HK$360,000 for 'RS'.