The iconic jumbo floating restaurant, a major tourist attraction in Hong Kong, sank more than 1000 meters into the South China Sea. The main boat of the restaurant capsized after facing adverse conditions near Paracel Islands.
Jumbo Floating Restaurant (Photo: AFP/FILE)
highlighted
- Hong Kong’s jumbo restaurant submerged in the South China Sea
- The main boat of the restaurant sank more than 1,000 meters into the sea
- No crew members were injured
Hong Kong’s iconic jumbo restaurant sank more than 1000 meters into the South China Sea, making rescue operations very difficult. Famous Jumbo floating restaurant overturns in Hong Kong After facing ‘adverse conditions’ in the South China Sea. The vessel sank when it was being towed away from its 46-year-old home by a tugboat. However, no crew member was injured in the incident.
Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises said the restaurant’s main boat was on its way to an undisclosed shipyard when it capsized on Saturday after experiencing “adverse conditions” in the South China Sea.
Once known as the world’s largest floating restaurant, Jumbo Kingdom has featured in several Hong Kong and international films and has also hosted various dignitaries including Queen Elizabeth II, Jimmy Carter and Tom Cruise. The restaurant was noted for its grand imperial-style facade, neon lights, huge commissioned paintings in the staircase, and its colorful Chinese-style motifs.
Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises said in an official statement that it was deeply saddened by the incident. As public broadcaster RTHK reported, as soon as an investigation was sought into what caused the sinking, the Hong Kong government asked the owners for a report on how the ship capsized at sea.
damage to restaurant
Since 2013, the restaurant group has suffered losses as the fishing population in the southern port of the island dwindled. In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the owners announced that the damage had been up to $13 million and announced that the restaurant would be closed until further notice.
Although several proposals were announced to revive the restaurant, the high maintenance fee every year scares off potential investors. After months of Covid-19 restrictions, its parent company was unable to find a new owner and lacked the funds to maintain it.
Moving from Hong Kong to Jumbo was nostalgia for many Hong Kong residents. Residents said goodbye to the iconic Jumbo restaurant on Tuesday (June 14) as it was towed away from their 46-year-old home by a tugboat. Some even shared farewell messages and happy memories of past trips.
(with agency input)