Bruce Lee in Bosnia-Hercegovina

Did you ever think that you'd be hearing the words 'Bosnia-Hercegovina' and 'Bruce Lee' in the same sentence? No? Well, you're not alone.

Be that as it may, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Bruce Lee forged a bizarre and unforgettable bond when a shiny, bronze monument to the great Lee was erected in Mostar in 2005. A pair of young men, disillusioned with the political and economic corruption in the country, thought that the Kung Fu fighter symbolised their values and ideals more than any dead or living person from the region.

Veselin Gatalo, who organized the monument explains: "We saw this guy one day wearing an army uniform, looking all cocky. My friend Nino said to me: 'This guy represents all the macho nationalists around. Who represents us?'. And I joked: 'Bruce Lee. We should build a monument to him.' We looked at each other and thought: 'Actually, this could be a serious idea'."

So struck were Veselin and Nino by the idea of Bruce Lee - who in their opinion stands up for what's right, and avoids categorisation as Serb, Croat or Bosniak - that they managed to find a spot for him in the City Park, in the centre of town. They unveiled the statue on what would have been Lee's 65th birthday: 27 November, 2005. Busloads of students and supporters arrived, together with the Chinese and German ambassadors. Mrs Lee was also invited, but wasn't able to be there on the day.

Read more.