Hong Kong's Iconic Jumbo Floating Restaurant Sinks In South China Sea

Hong Kong's iconic floating restaurant has sunk in the South China Sea, days after it departed for a new home from the harbor where it operated for nearly 50 years.

What Happened: Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises, the operator of the Jumbo Floating Restaurant, said in a statement that the vessel capsized on Sunday near the Paracel Islands after it "encountered adverse conditions."

"On Saturday afternoon, it was passing Xisha Islands in the South China Sea when the vessel encountered adverse conditions…before it began to tip," the company said.

"Despite the efforts of the towing company responsible for the trip to rescue the vessel, unfortunately, it capsized on Sunday."

No crew members were injured, Aberdeen said, adding that it was difficult to carry out salvage works as "the water depth at the scene is over 1,000 meters."

The Jumbo Floating Restaurant operator said it was seeking further information from the towing firm.

Colorful History: The restaurant cost HK$32 million ($4.76 million) when it was built in the 1970s by the late casino tycoon Stanley Ho.

Initially designed to look like an ancient Chinese imperial palace, it had attracted celebrities like Queen Elizabeth II, Tom Cruise and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

The financially beleagured restaurant shut in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. 

It was being shifted to a new undisclosed location somewhere in Southeast Asia, as its operator could not afford the cost of maintaining the vessel.