One of Hong Kong’s most iconic restaurants — the Jumbo Floating Restaurant — has capsized in the South China Sea days after it was towed away from its home of 46 years in the territory’s Aberdeen Harbour.
Its owners said in a statement on Monday that the restaurant had encountered “adverse” weather conditions when passing the Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島) on its way to an undisclosed location.
“The water depth at the scene is over 1,000 metres, making it extremely difficult to carry out salvage works,” the statement from Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises said, adding that no crew member was injured and that it was seeking more information from the towing agency.
Photo: AFP
It said it was “very saddened by this accident.”
Opened in 1976 by the late Stanley Ho (何鴻燊), a casino magnate in Macau, Jumbo restaurant was a popular tourist attraction in Hong Kong over the past four decades.
Known for its elegant traditional Chinese decorations and signature seafood dishes, the eatery of almost 80m in length has been repeatedly featured in films over the years such as Jackie Chan’s 1985 film The Protector and the widely acclaimed Infernal Affairs II in 2003.
Its high-profile guests also included Queen Elizabeth II and Hollywood star Tom Cruise.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic dealt the restaurant a huge financial blow. It closed in 2020 due to the pandemic and laid off all its staff.
Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises said the restaurant became a financial burden to its shareholders, with millions of Hong Kong dollars spent on its inspection and maintenance even though it was not in operation.
The restaurant was towed away on Tuesday last week.
Before its departure, the company said the vessel had been inspected by marine engineers and hoardings were installed, and approvals were obtained.
Additional reporting by AP
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