Tourist attraction in Hong Kong
Mourning for “Jumbo Kingdom” – the largest restaurant ship in the world has sunk
The restaurant ship “Jumbo Kingdom” was the largest in the world. However, it has been closed since the pandemic began, piling on a huge mountain of debt.
© Chunyip Wong / Getty Images
It was the largest floating restaurant in the world and a filming location for many Hollywood films. Now the famous Hong Kong restaurant ship “Jumbo Kingdom” has sunk. There have been problems with the ship for years.
More than 80 meters long, three stories high and with space for more than 2000 guests – the restaurant ship “Jumbo Kingdom” was not only the largest in the world, but also a landmark in the port of Hong Kong’s Aberdeen district. The ship, built in 1976, lay there until mid-June – now it is lying on the seabed of the South China Sea.
According to media reports, the ship capsized during the transfer trip to a shipyard in stormy seas just off the Paracel Islands. “The water is more than 1,000 meters deep there and makes the salvage work extremely difficult,” says a statement from the operator Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises, from which the “Guardian” quotes. Accordingly, the operators are very sad about the accident. Stephen Li, a professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, told radio station RTHK that salvaging the ship would cost millions of euros.
There was deep dismay in Hong Kong after the news of the accident. The Hong Kong government’s marine department said the ship duly departed Hong Kong waters en route to Cambodia with no problems, according to RTHK. As a result of the events, the government demanded a detailed report from the operators on the sinking.
“Jumbo Kingdom”: Queen Elizabeth II was also a guest
Since opening in 1976, the “Jumbo Kingdom” has been a tourist attraction in Hong Kong. According to its own statements, over 30 million guests were served in the restaurant, including Queen Elizabeth II, Tom Cruise, John Wayne and former US President Jimmy Carter. The ship was known for its traditional Chinese decorations and more than 100 seafood dishes. A special feature of the ship was that it could not be reached from land. Eight free ferries took visitors to and from the restaurant. The ship’s striking appearance also ensured that it was booked as a film set several times. Scenes from the James Bond films “The Man With The Golden Gun” and “The World Of Suzie Wong” were filmed on the ship.
In recent years, however, the ship’s popularity has waned. The maintenance costs rose, according to a “CNN” report, the number of customers fell at the same time. The ship hasn’t made a profit since 2013. At the beginning of the Corona pandemic, the operators announced that the restaurant would be temporarily closed and all employees were laid off. Due to maintenance work, the deficit accumulated to around twelve million euros during the pandemic. Although there have been several attempts to save the ship, the high maintenance costs have deterred potential investors. Hong Kong Prime Minister Carrie Lam also declined financial support.
At the end of May, the operators then pulled the ripcord and announced that the “Jumbo Kingdom” would be taken to a shipyard. Shortly before, a dinghy from the ship that housed the restaurant kitchen sank in Hong Kong harbor due to lack of maintenance. However, the historic restaurant has not completely disappeared from the cityscape.
Sources: Guardians, CNN, RTKH, Hong Kong Free Press