FROM DREAMS TO REALITY

My Unforgettable Experience on China’s National Treasure

A Prestigious Invitation to Beijing

A few months ago, I had the incredible honor of being invited to Beijing, China, to shoot for Season 7 of the popular TV show "China's National Treasure."

Meeting Producer Zhu Dao

The invitation came from the show's producer, Zhu Dao, who goes by the English name Richard. Richard is a fascinating individual who moved to New York at 13, became a movie producer, and later returned to China to bridge the gap between East and West with his unique and inspiring content ad approach to TV Production.

An Exciting Bruce Lee Theme

As a fan of mine, Richard reached out to me personally through social media with an exciting idea. This season's theme was Bruce Lee and his iconic yellow outfit from "Game of Death." My excitement grew as I learned more about the show—not only would I be featured in a short film about Bruce Lee, but I would also get to work with one of my childhood heroes, Louis Fan, known for his roles in iconic Hong Kong movies and as the main antagonist in "Ip Man."

Working with Childhood Hero Louis Fan

The experience kept getting better. I would be playing myself, Bai Long, much like how Jackie Chan often plays himself in his films. It was a privilege to step into the role of White Dragon, a Kung Fu master. Check out the video below to see how it turned out—I'm extremely happy with it, especially since it was my first time acting in Chinese. The excitement of working with Louis Fan made learning the script seem secondary.

A Warm Welcome in Beijing

Arriving in Beijing and meeting the team was fantastic. Zhu Dao is one of the coolest people I've met, and his team was incredibly welcoming. From the crew on set to hair and makeup, everyone was amazing. I spent several days rehearsing before it was time for lights, camera, action. Louis Fan arrived straight from Hong Kong, and we spent the day shooting together.

Behind-the-Scenes at the Studio

During my five days at the studio, I stayed on-site in one of the trailers and made great friends with many of the other actors and crew members. Wearing Bruce Lee's yellow outfit for the first time was a thrill, and I shot some incredible videos, which I'll be posting again around Bruce Lee's birthday in November. I also had the unique opportunity to don traditional Chinese hairstyles for Jet Li's birthday, creating fun and inspiring content for another one of my heroes.

Rocking Bruce Lee’s Iconic Outfit

A special moment was when ShiMu, who had always seen me with a shaved head, finally saw me with hair after the talented hair and makeup team worked their magic. We shot several different Chinese hairstyles, and I'll be sharing that content over the next few months. Check out my favorite photo below, where I recreated a warrior look reminiscent of Bruce Lee in "Fist of Fury."

The show has now aired, garnering millions of views and catching the attention of numerous TV stations and producers across China, leading to many future opportunities. The day it aired, ShiMu and I watched it with the students at the temple after lunch. It was a blessing to see myself on the big screen and enjoy my fight scene with Louis Fan, which turned out great.

Meeting the Legend Yuan He Ping

During the long days on set, I was fortunate enough to meet many great people. One of them was the legendary Yuan He Ping, director of iconic movies such as "The Matrix" and Bruce Lee's "Game of Death." However, what really resonated with me was his movie "Drunken Master" with Jackie Chan. That's right, I met the guy who made "Drunken Master"! I got a cool photo with him and had the opportunity to share a video that had just gone viral with over 13 million views. He was fascinated by my story and impressed with my Chinese. We took a photo together, and I felt truly blessed.

Connecting with Zhang GuoLi

Another individual I met was Zhang GuoLi, a famous TV presenter in China, whom ShiMu loves to watch. Meeting him was awesome, and I got a clip that made ShiMu a bit jealous. Building relationships, he shared that his children are in London and would love to join us at the Temple. I've invited them to the Rise of the Dragon event. I also told him about my childhood idol, Jackie Chan. He said he had Jackie's contact and tried calling him for me. Unfortunately, there was no answer, but he promised to help me realize my dream in the future. For those joining the East China trip, who knows? Maybe this year, the Year of the Dragon, we'll meet Jackie Chan together. That would be awesome!

Airing the Show and Future Opportunities

I now have a wonderful relationship with Louis Fan, who I had met previously in Singapore over 15 years ago. He calls me little brother, and I'm fortunate to have him in my contacts and speak with him regularly. This makes me feel part of the family I grew up watching on the big screen. What once was a dream is now a tangible reality.

To sum up, I want to leave you with this quote: "There are those that see what is and ask why, then there are those who dream what isn't and ask why not."