(CNN) – An iconic Hong Kong floating restaurant has sunk, just days after being towed to the sea en route to an unspecified destination.
Jumbo Kingdom, a three-story boat that was once the world’s largest floating restaurant, was towed by tugboats last Tuesday after nearly half a century moored in the city’s southwestern waters.
The restaurant’s main boat was traveling to an undisclosed shipyard when it capsized on Saturday after encountering “adverse conditions” near the Paracel Islands (also known as the Xisha Islands) in the South China Sea, Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises Limited said. in a statement Monday.
The Jumbo Kingdom in Hong Kong, photographed in 2014.
Bruce Yan / South China Morning Post / Getty Images
The ship sank more than 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), making rescue work “extremely difficult,” according to the statement.
He added that Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises was “very sad about this accident” and was working to gather more details. No crew member was injured.
The news was received with dismay online, with many Twitter users lamenting the unelegant ending of one of Hong Kong’s most recognizable historical icons. Some posted pictures depicting the restaurant underwater, while others shared farewell messages.
Others saw the sinking of the ship as a dark comic metaphor for Hong Kong’s alleged fortunes, as the city, still largely closed to the rest of the world, clings to pandemic restrictions after several years of collapse. political unrest.
The 260-foot-long restaurant (about 80 meters) was the main ship of the Jumbo Kingdom, which included an older and smaller sister restaurant ship, a barge for seafood depots, a kitchen boat, and eight small ferries for transport. visitors to nearby docks.
In its heyday, Jumbo Kingdom starred in many Hong Kong and international films and hosted visiting luminaries such as Queen Elizabeth II, Jimmy Carter and Tom Cruise.
It was famous for its lavish imperial-style façade, the numerous neon lights, the massive custom paintings on the stairs, and its colorful Chinese-style motifs, including a golden throne in the dining room.
But as the fishing population in the southern port of the island dwindled, the group of restaurants became less popular and suffered from a deficit since 2013. The Covid-19 pandemic struck the final blow, with the restaurant closed until further notice in 2020.
Maggie Hiufu Wong contributed to the report.