An iconic floating restaurant in Hong Kong, the Jumbo Floating Restaurant, sank in the South China Sea during transport. It was dragged away from Hong Kong after 46 years last week, because it had already gone under financially, partly as a result of the corona measures.
The owner, Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises, said only that the Chinese Imperial-style floating restaurant measuring 76 meters long would be towed to a new destination.
But on its way to a new destination, it capsized and sunk about 700 kilometres south of Hong Kong on Sunday, said its saddened owners. It is not considered likely that it can be recovered, because the sea is 1000 meters deep. The cause of the sinking is being investigated in consultation with the towage company.
The restaurant palace is one of the most famous in the world, partly due to the role it played in a series of TV series and films, including the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) and the film Contagion (2011).
When the restaurant was still thriving, it could serve 2300 dinners daily. The cuisine focused on traditional Cantonese and seafood dishes and was renowned. It has welcomed an estimated 30 million customers, including royalty and movie stars, according to local media.