Jumbo Floating Restaurant adorned Aberdeen Harbor in Hong Kong for 46 years. Now the restaurant is a thousand meters below the sea. It reports the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post. Jumbo was a floating restaurant, as long as a football field and six stories high. Traditional Chinese architecture was covered with modern neon lights, while golden dragons guarded the entrance. Even Tom Cruise, Queen Elizabeth, and Pelé visited the restaurant in its heyday. Jumbo Floating Restaurant is towed out of Hong Kong Harbor, heading south to an unknown destination, June 14. Photo: PETER PARKS / AFP – A good metaphor for Hong Kong’s future Marcus Cheah grew up in Hong Kong, but lived abroad when the comprehensive security law was introduced in June 2020. When he returned last autumn, freedom in the country was already considerably restricted. Photo: Private Many Hong Kongers are now mourning the loss of the well-known restaurant. – A tragedy, says Hong Kong resident Marcus Cheah (22) to news. He sees parallels to Hong Kong’s fate as a country. – It is a good metaphor for Hong Kong’s future: We are drawn closer to the mainland and sink on the road. And with us goes all our history and culture, says Cheah. Jumbo Floating Restaurant pictured in the evening. The restaurant was located on the south side of Hong Kong Island until it was relocated. Photo: DANIEL SUEN / AFP The capsize on the way to a secret place The restaurant boat was being towed to a secret place. On Sunday, it was outside the Paracel Islands when bad weather conditions caused it to capsize. – Despite the efforts of the towing company responsible for the trip, the boat could not be saved. It writes Jumbo’s owner, Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises, in a statement. No one was injured in the incident. The map shows Hong Kong and the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, where the restaurant boat is said to have sunk. Had to shut down after the pandemic Jumbo was a tourist magnet that attracted tens of millions of guests over the years. The restaurant was also hit hard by the closure and entry ban during the corona pandemic. A worker stands outside the Jumbo Floating Restaurant as it is towed away. Photo: Kin Cheung / AP Many attempts were made to save Jumbo. Last week, it became clear that the boat would be towed away and stored at an unknown shipyard, pending a new driver. Even then, many Hong Kongers expressed their disappointment to the South China Morning Post: – I really can not stand to see it go. “I think it’s a big loss for Hong Kong,” 70-year-old Lai told the newspaper. – It is a pity. “I used to come here for brunch when I was little,” said 40-year-old Jeff Lo.
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