Hong Kong’s landmark Jumbo floating restaurant sinks at sea

The sprawling 260-foot-long boat spent almost half a century in Hong Kong’s waters, taking part in host to “numerous international dignitaries and celebrities,” together with Queen Elizabeth II and Tom Cruise, in accordance with the Jumbo Kingdom website.

Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises beforehand mentioned it couldn’t afford the price of upkeep — with thousands and thousands of {dollars} spent on inspections and repairs to fulfill licensing necessities. Hong Kong’s authorities, beneath Chief Executive Carrie Lam, rejected calls to supply short-term monetary reduction.

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“We have clearly indicated that the government has no plans to invest money in the operation of the restaurant as we are not good at running such premises,” Lam mentioned.

Even earlier than the pandemic, the restaurant, which served Cantonese fare, was accumulating debt. But Hong Kong’s early transfer to ban vacationers hit Jumbo Kingdom and different sights exhausting.

Earlier this month, earlier than it was towed, the restaurant’s 130-foot kitchen flotilla snapped off the back of the boat and sunk in Hong Kong’s Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter.

It was unclear precisely the place Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises deliberate to take the restaurant earlier than it sank. A spokesperson for the corporate advised South China Morning Post that the vessel was being towed someplace in Southeast Asia.