Hong Kong's Jumbo Floating Restaurant capsizes at sea

Jumbo trouble: The famous floating restaurant sailed into difficulty from Hong Kong last week. Photo / Kin Cheung, AP

One of Hong Kong's most famous floating restaurants which had been a presence in Aberdeen Harbour for almost five decades has capsized.

Jumbo Floating Restaurant, which has served Cantonese cuisine to visiting dignitaries from Queen Elizabeth to Tom Cruise, has come into trouble while being moved from Hong Kong harbour.

Last night owners confirmed that the moving team had encountered "adverse" weather close to the Paracel Islands. The 80-metre long floating restaurant reportedly capsized and sank, disputed best efforts to save her. Nobody was injured.

"The water depth at the scene is over 1,000 metres, making it extremely difficult to carry out salvage works," they said in a statement.

The owners said they were seeking more information from the towing company but were "very saddened by the incident."

Opened by Macanese casino magnate Stanley Ho Hung-sun the ship was built in 1976.

The Jumbo Floating Restaurant was moved from Hong Kong last week. Photo / Kin Cheung, AP

The establishment had been a landmark in Hong Kong for decades, appearing in films and even martial arts video games. The floating restaurant had served 3 million guests including royalty. It was closed following the 2020 pandemic and failed to find a buyer.

Last week the ship was being sailed to an undisclosed location through the South China sea.
The floating restaurant was reportedly running at a net loss of HK$100m ($20million).

Jumbo was also in poor repair following two years of being mothballed. Earlier this month a 30m kitchen barge attached to the restaurant sank during removal in Aberdeen Harbour.

The remaining vessels were approved for transport last week, after passing inspections.

- With Associated Press