An iconic Hong Kong floating restaurant sank just days after being towed out to sea en route to an unspecified destination. The Jumbo Kingdom, a three-story ship whose exterior was inspired by a Chinese imperial palace, was towed last Tuesday after nearly half a century moored in waters southwest of the city.
The restaurant boat was traveling to an undisclosed shipyard when it capsized on Saturday after encountering “adverse conditions” near the Paracel Islands (also known as the Xisha Islands) in the South China Sea, Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises Limited said in a statement on Monday. .
+ Boat accident in Georgia kills five, driver arrested for drunk
The boat sank more than 1,000 meters, making rescue work “extremely difficult”, the statement said.
It added that Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises was “very saddened by this accident” and was working to gather more details from the towing company. No crew was injured.
On Tuesday, the Hong Kong government asked owners for a report on how the ship capsized, public broadcaster RTHK reported, amid calls for a more thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the sinking.
News of the sinking was met with consternation online, with many Hong Kong social media users lamenting the inelegant end of one of Hong Kong’s most recognizable historical icons.
Some posted art depicting the restaurant underwater, while others shared farewell messages or fond memories of past visits.
Hong Kong’s Third Side political party described the incident as disconcerting and accused the government and those involved in the restaurant’s management of indirectly causing the sinking of the “collective memory of the people of Hong Kong,” RTHK reported.
Others saw the sinking ship as a dark and comical metaphor for Hong Kong’s alleged fortunes as the city – still largely isolated from the rest of the world – clings to pandemic restrictions after several years of political turmoil.
The 260-foot-long (about 80 meters) restaurant was the main boat for the Jumbo Kingdom, a restaurant seating over 2,000 people that included an older and smaller sister restaurant boat, a barge for seafood tanks, a kitchen boat and eight small ferries to transport visitors from nearby docks.
Jumbo Kingdom, once the world’s largest floating restaurant, has starred in many international and Hong Kong films, including “Enter the Dragon” starring Bruce Lee and “James Bond: The Man with the Golden Gun”.
It also hosted visiting luminaries including Queen Elizabeth II, Jimmy Carter and Tom Cruise.
The restaurant, which was only accessible via small Jumbo-branded ferries, was famous for its lavish imperial-style facade, abundant neon lights, huge specially commissioned paintings on the staircase and its colorful Chinese-style motifs – including a golden throne in the room. for dinner.
“A restaurant of this scale on a floating structure is unique in the world,” said Charles Lai, architect and founder of Hong Kong Architectural History during an interview with CNN earlier this month.
“If we look at the historical context, it was built at a time when this Chinese imperial-style aesthetic was not even encouraged in China (“The old stuff” would be removed during the Cultural Revolution). in Hong Kong had a greater yearning or passion for these ancient Chinese traditions,” said Lai.
“It (also) reflects the close relationship and history that Hong Kong has with the sea.”
But as the fishing population in the island’s southern port dwindled, the restaurant group became less popular and had been running a deficit since 2013.
The pandemic dealt the final blow, with Jumbo’s owners announcing in March 2020 that they had racked up losses of more than $13 million and that the restaurant would be closed until further notice.
Various proposals have been put forward to save the historic icon, but its high cost of maintenance has deterred potential investors, with Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam also ruling out a possible government bailout to save the attraction.
Without a “white knight” savior that the city had been waiting for, the owner decided to transfer the Jumbo Floating Restaurant, the main boat, to an undisclosed shipyard before its operating license expired at the end of June.
Tai Pak, the smallest and oldest boat dating from 1952, as well as a recently capsized kitchen boat, remain moored in the harbor.
#Threestory #floating #restaurant #sinks #Hong #Kong