After half a century, Hong Kong's famed floating restaurant is towed away, the latest business sunk by COVID-19

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Hong Kong's famed Jumbo Floating Restaurant is no more, with the giant tourist attraction being towed from Aberdeen Harbour, making it the latest victim of the COVID pandemic.

Hong Kong's Jumbo Floating Restaurant — a famed but ageing tourist attraction that hosted Queen Elizabeth II and featured in many Hollywood films — has been towed out of the city's harbour after the COVID-19 pandemic finally sank the struggling business.During its 44 years of operation, more than 30 million guests visited Hong Kong's famed Jumbo Floating Restaurant

In 2020, it ceased operations due to the pandemic, and millions of dollars were spent on inspections and maintenanceThe massive floating structure — which was designed like a Chinese imperial palace and at 76 metres long could house 2,300 diners — was towed from Aberdeen Harbour on Tuesday.But Jumbo Floating Restaurant was forced to close in 2020 due to the pandemic, and all staff were laid off.

Parent company Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises said it had become a financial burden to shareholders, as millions of Hong Kong dollars were spent on inspection and maintenance of the structure every year, even though the restaurant was not in operation."We do not foresee that [the Jumbo Floating Restaurant] can resume business in the immediate future," the company said.Tugboats towed the restaurant away but it wasn't clear where it would berth next.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam had previously rejected suggestions the city bail out the restaurant, despite calls from politicians to preserve the landmark. Lam said last month that the government had no plans to invest taxpayers' money into the restaurant as it was "not good" at running such premises.

 

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so sad, we loved going there for dim sum

Wasn't this a map in the China Rising expansion pack in battlefield4? Battlefield

Sad to see. Eat on there a fair few times. Amazing dinning experience.

Sunk by communism more likely

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