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Jumbo Kingdom

Coordinates: 22°14′35.5″N 114°9′43.2″E / 22.243194°N 114.162000°E / 22.243194; 114.162000
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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Cooliejones (talk | contribs) at 12:28, 2 July 2023 (Changed $800 million to $8 million in order to match the price mentioned in the reference article.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Jumbo Kingdom
Jumbo Kingdom in 2017
Map
Restaurant information
Established19 October 1976
Closed3 March 2020 (Jumbo Floating Restaurant capsized on 19 June 2022 after leaving Hong Kong)
Owner(s)Stanley Ho
Food typeCantonese, dim sum, Western
Street addressShum Wan Pier Drive, Wong Chuk Hang, Aberdeen, Hong Kong
CityHong Kong
Coordinates22°14′35.5″N 114°9′43.2″E / 22.243194°N 114.162000°E / 22.243194; 114.162000
Seating capacity2300
Websitewww.jumbo.com.hk/en/main.html
Jumbo Kingdom
Traditional Chinese珍寶王國
Literal meaningTreasure Kingdom
Transcriptions
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationJān bóu wòhng gwok
JyutpingZan1 bou2 wong4 gwok3
Jumbo Floating Restaurant
Traditional Chinese珍寶海鮮舫
Transcriptions
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationJān bóu hói sīn fóng
JyutpingZan1 bou2 hoi2 sin1 fong5
Tai Pak Floating Restaurant
Traditional Chinese太白海鮮舫
Transcriptions
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationTaai baahk hói sīn fóng
JyutpingTaai3 baak6 hoi2 sin1 fong2

Jumbo Kingdom (Chinese: 珍寶王國) consisted of the Jumbo Floating Restaurant (Chinese: 珍寶海鮮舫) and the adjacent Tai Pak Floating Restaurant (Chinese: 太白海鮮舫), which were tourist attractions in the Aberdeen South Typhoon Shelters within Hong Kong's Aberdeen Harbour. During its 44 years of operation, over thirty million visitors visited Jumbo Kingdom, including Queen Elizabeth II, Jimmy Carter, Tom Cruise, Chow Yun Fat, and Gong Li.[1] A subsidiary, Jumbo Kingdom Manila, operated in Manila Bay, Philippines, but closed after eight years. Jumbo Kingdom was part of Melco International Development Limited, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. It suspended operations in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.

On 14 June 2022, the Jumbo Floating Restaurant was towed out of Hong Kong to Cambodia to await a new operator.[2][3] While transiting in the South China Sea, it experienced bad weather and capsized near the Paracel Islands on 19 June 2022. Its operator has denied describing it as sunk.[4]

Origin

According to a senior editor from the Hong Kong Chronicles Institute, predecessors to floating restaurants were once fishermen's barges from the Guangzhou and Pearl River areas.[5] They had stages built into them for people to host banquets, sing and dance. During the 1920s and 30s, Hong Kong fishermen from Aberdeen began operating similar barges. They originally offered food and banquet services to the fishing community only but gradually began to cater to the rest of the public.[5]

History

The Jumbo Kingdom was established in October 1976 by Stanley Ho after more than HK$30 million were spent to design and build it.[1][6] It was originally decorated in the style of an ancient Chinese imperial palace.[7] Ho later purchased Tai Pak in 1980 and Sea Palace in 1982, operating all three former competitors under Jumbo Kingdom.[8]

Tai Pak Floating Restaurant

Tai Pak Floating Restaurant in 2007

The Tai Pak Floating Restaurant was established in 1952,[9] when Wong Lo-kat (along with three other investors) purchased a boat and transformed it into a floating restaurant spanning 32 m (105 ft) in length.[6] Six years later, Tai Pak was extended to accommodate 800 guests.[8] Due to Tai Pak's smaller size compared to Jumbo, it was granted permission as a laid-up vessel in 2022 during negotiation with a buyer.[10][11] The transfer of ownership was completed in August. Its new operator intends to renovate the restaurant to serve an Asian-Western fusion cuisine, promote Hong Kong tourism as well as local brands.[12] A second Tai Pak floating restaurant operated from Castle Peak, now Tuen Mun, and was sold off and relocated to Guangxi in the 1980s.[13][verification needed]

Jumbo Floating Restaurant

Wong ordered the construction of a second restaurant, the Jumbo Floating Restaurant, by the Kowloon Chung Hwa shipyard, at the price of HK$14 million.[14] It was similarly decorated in the style of an imperial palace.[15] On 30 October 1971,[9] a four-alarm fire occurred at the restaurant before its opening which left 34 dead and 42 injured.[16][17][18] It had to be rebuilt after new owners Stanley Ho and Cheng Yu-ting bought the title to the remaining assets in July 1972. After total expenditure of HK$30 million, the restaurant began operation in 1976.[14]

During the 1980s and 90s, a period of great prosperity in Hong Kong, the restaurant was often one of the destinations for investors and foreign tourists. Every night, large numbers of diners feasted on such cuisine as crabs, lobster, and roasted suckling pig. Even though most locals knew that the best food was not served there, its exotic oriental atmosphere helped it become a symbol that is somewhat but not entirely unique about Hong Kong.[14][15]

In the finale of the 1996 comedy film The God of Cookery, Stephen Chow judged a cooking competition that caught the attention of audiences all over China; it was held inside the restaurant.[15]

The restaurant intermittently suspended operations after the 1997 Asian financial crisis.[14] It went through a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2003, emerging as a structure 76 m (249 ft) in length, 4,200 m2 (45,000 sq ft) in area and boasting a seating capacity of 2,300 diners,[15][19][20] along with a dragon throne, aquarium and a six-storey pagoda.[15]

On 1 March 2020, the restaurant announced it would be closed until further notice and laid off all staff due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[21]

According to the November 2020 Hong Kong policy address, the operator of the Jumbo Floating Restaurant agreed to donate the vessel to Ocean Park Hong Kong as part of the Invigorating Island South project.[22][23] On 12 March 2021, it was reported that the plan to reactivate the restaurant had been shelved.[24] Other proposals to preserve it, such as relocating onto land or converting to a Bruce Lee museum, were all met with objections. The Hong Kong Jockey Club did not comment following a suggestion for it to take in the vessel. The Antiquities Advisory Board stated that because ships are not covered under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance, they cannot be evaluated for conservation.[25]

2022 capsizing

Back of Jumbo Kingdom. Kitchen block in 2012.

According to the parent company Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises (ARE), as of 2022 the Jumbo Floating Restaurant had been unprofitable since 2013 and had accumulated losses exceeding HK$100 million.[26] On 30 May 2022, the company announced that the restaurant would leave Hong Kong in June 2022. ARE's offers to donate it were not successful as all interested parties cited high operating costs, which can run in the millions of Hong Kong dollars annually.[22] Because its operating licence with the Marine Department was due to expire, and there was no berth available, ARE decided to have the restaurant towed out of Hong Kong and wait for better prospects.[27] At roughly 11pm on 31 May, the kitchen boat of the restaurant began listing following a hull breach. It happened as preparations were being made to tow the restaurant.[28] The restaurant barge was eventually towed out of Hong Kong on 14 June, though the kitchen boat and Tai Pak were left behind.[29] Its destination was Cambodia according to the Marine Department, but this has not been confirmed by ARE.[30] The company said that before the tow, the restaurant was inspected, hoardings were installed, and all relevant approvals were obtained.[26]

On 18 June 2022, while being towed in the South China Sea, the restaurant experienced bad weather and began listing. Despite rescue efforts, it fully capsized the next day near the Paracel Islands in waters over 1,000 m (3,300 ft) deep.[14] Amidst speculations that the boat had sunk, the Hong Kong Marine Department requested a report from ARE, which issued a statement saying that the tug and restaurant were still in the waters and that it had always used the term "capsized", not "sunk".[4][26] In August, the Maritime Safety Administration of Hainan said the boat had keeled over and was trapped on a reef near Sansha.[31] In March 2023, DimSum Daily reported that there was plan to lift Jumbo's kitchen boat. It had partially sunk in the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelters shortly before the main restaurant barge was towed away.[32]

Tourism lawmaker Perry Yiu Pak-leung said the loss was of the city's heritage, adding that the "government, conservationists, historians and the commercial sector should be working together to protect" historic sites but everyone had "stalled too long."[4] Other lawmakers in Hong Kong requested an investigation of the South Korean tug boat company to determine whether there was human error or malpractice involved.[4] The company, which employed a South Korean crew, has denied allegations of foul play.[33] In 2021, the same tugboat, Jaewon 9, was involved in an incident where the vessel that it was towing sank after the towing line broke.[34] Commentators from the fishing and shipbuilding industries said that a safer method would have been using a semi-submersible ship, like the ones that transported Sea Palace to Manila Bay and Tsingtao.[35] The market availability of such vessels is low, however, and the price for their service can be prohibitive. The chairman of Yun Lee Marine Group said he does not know of any owners of semi-submersibles in Hong Kong. Some pointed out that the restaurant is top heavy due to its multi-story superstructure and that towing it outside to the high seas should have called for extra precautions. Others argued that as long as the boat itself can be proven as seaworthy, the specific method of transport is secondary.[36]

A digital, three-dimensional model of Jumbo has been created by a student, Shiu Ka-heng.[37] He fed photographs of the boat's exterior into a computer program that transformed them into models viewable using virtual reality goggles. Shiu hopes to archive pieces of Hong Kong history, such as the State Theatre that is undergoing revamp, and said that anyone can use his online platform to turn images into virtual models.[38]

Sea Palace

In 1991, Sea Palace was renamed "Jumbo Palace". Shortly after the 1997 Asian financial crisis, it was sold for US$8 million and towed to Manila Bay.[39] Rebranded as "Jumbo Kingdom Manila", much of the original ancient Chinese imperial palace style renovation was retained. The highest level was turned into a large dance floor, and a resident band was hired.[39] It closed down in 2008.[8] The boat was donated to the government of Shantung province in 2011 and towed to Tsingtao as part of an upcoming seaside park.[40] It was intended to undergo reconstruction, including an underwater structure that prevents up and down movements in water, and reopen in May 2014 catering primarily to wedding events, but renovations were still incomplete as of 2021.[41][42] Local residents have attempted to tour the closed boat on their own, despite the rusting hull and a safety perimeter put in place to deter visitors. A member of the city's SASAC said that because of how complex the structure of the boat is and the absence of some supporting facilities, the operator has not been able to reopen the restaurant.[42]

Attractions

Dragon Court restaurant.
Tea shop at ground floor
  • Roof Deck: An alfresco banquet hall located on the top deck of Jumbo serving fine Western food.[43][44]
  • Dragon Court: Dragon Court was a fine dining Chinese restaurant located on the first deck of Jumbo. The interior design of the restaurant was a mixture of Ming Dynasty and contemporary Chinese.[45]
  • Shum Wan Pier Garden: Outdoor venue for wedding and cocktail receptions.[46]

A staff canteen was located on the fourth floor of Jumbo Kingdom, named So-Kee Coffee Shop (蘇記茶檔), that served Hong Kong cuisine including noodles and street food.[47] The boat also housed a cooking academy and facilities for conference and banqueting.[44]

The restaurants were accessible via a free shuttle boat from Aberdeen Promenade or Sham Wan pier.[48][49]

Lawsuit

In November 2022, King Field Shipyard sued Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises (ARE), the owners of Tai Pak and Jumbo, for the return of the three restaurant barges and unpaid fees totaling HK$4.8 million.[55] In its court filing, the shipyard said that on 19 May, it signed an agreement with ARE to buy the barges for HK$4 in exchange for HK$5.4 million in unpaid fees associated with transfer of ownership and business licenses. ARE put down a HK$600,000 deposit on 20 May and, according to the shipyard, HK$1 was paid for the Jumbo barge on 25 May. On 1 June, ARE informed the shipyeard that the Jumbo barge, still parked inside the Aberdeen shelter, had submerged. It was towed away from the harbor on 14 June and capsized five days later at sea. On 27 July, ARE wrote to the shipyard saying that their agreement had automatically terminated on account of the 1 June incident. King Field Shipyard accused ARE of failing to maintain Jumbo safely under the terms that they had agreed upon, as well as failing to deliver the other barges.[55]

  • Jumbo Kingdom pier along Aberdeen Promenade
    Jumbo Kingdom pier along Aberdeen Promenade
  • 1st Floor Relief and Badge
    1st Floor Relief and Badge
  • Staircase leading up to top deck
    Staircase leading up to top deck
  • Transport boat to restaurant

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Jumbo Kingdom. "A Celebrated Landmark". Archived from the original on 19 December 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  2. ^ "'Great loss to Hong Kong': iconic Jumbo Floating Restaurant leaves city". South China Morning Post. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Residents bid farewell to Jumbo Floating Restaurant - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d Magramo, Kathleen (24 June 2022). "Owners of Jumbo Floating Restaurant backtrack on sinking claims as authorities investigate". CNN. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  5. ^ a b 黃皓頤 (16 June 2022). "從漁民歌堂船到海上食府 回顧珍寶海鮮舫的前世今生". 當代中國 (in Traditional Chinese).
  6. ^ a b Mok, Laramie (25 March 2020). "Hong Kong's Jumbo floating restaurants: a stroll down memory lane". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Imperial-style Jumbo to vanish from Aberdeen waters - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "Hong Kong's Jumbo floating restaurants: a stroll down memory lane". South China Morning Post. 25 March 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d "Hong Kong (& Macau) Stuff: "Tai Pak Floating Restaurant, Aberdeen"". Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  10. ^ "珍宝海鲜坊沉没 港议员促留住太白海鲜舫 | 早报". www.zaobao.com.sg (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  11. ^ "太白海鮮舫獲發閒置允許書 有商家正接洽經營". Sing Tao Daily 星島日報加拿大 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 14 June 2022.
  12. ^ 陳葆琳 (14 January 2023). "太白海鮮舫｜白武士打救耗資5000萬復修 擬中西合璧推廣香港品牌". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)).
  13. ^ "The mystery of the Tai Pak floating restaurant". Susan Blumberg-Kason. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  14. ^ a b c d e 聯合新聞網. "誰的香港記憶？「珍寶海鮮舫」錯愕的南海沉沒記". 轉角國際 udn Global (in Chinese). Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  15. ^ a b c d e Bagshaw, Eryk (21 June 2022). "The Jumbo Floating Restaurant's demise is a reflection of Hong Kong's". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  16. ^ "調查報告書指出 珍寶大火起於燒焊 此慘劇死傷達七十六人". Ta Kung Pao. 25 May 1972.(in Chinese)
  17. ^ NFPA.org. "NFPA.org Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine." Key dates in fire history. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  18. ^ England, Vaudine (1998). The Quest of Noel Croucher: Hong Kong's Quiet Philanthropist. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. p. 237. ISBN 978-962-209-473-4.
  19. ^ Chan, Cherry. "Jumbo Floating Restaurant bids Hong Kong goodbye next month". Time Out Hong Kong. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  20. ^ "Hong Kong's iconic Jumbo Floating Restaurant to get a facelift". South China Morning Post. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  21. ^ Standard, The. "Virus shutters Jumbo Kingdom". The Standard. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  22. ^ a b Interactive, Marketing. "Jumbo floating restaurant exits Hong Kong due to cost crunch". Marketing Interactive. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  23. ^ 陳, 曉瑩; 郭, 詩詩 (25 November 2020). "【施政報告2020】港府8招打造南區成消閒玩樂處 制定海洋公園重生方案活化珍寶海鮮舫". 香港經濟日報. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  24. ^ "劉鳴煒出席區議會解說海洋公園新定位 稱會尋相同理念外判商". 獨立媒體. 12 March 2021.
  25. ^ "古蹟條例不包船隻 珍寶海鮮舫無法評級". 獨立媒體. 2 June 2022.
  26. ^ a b c "Mystery deepens as owners say Hong Kong floating restaurant has not sunk". the Guardian. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  27. ^ "活化泡湯 珍寶海鮮舫下月離港". www.bastillepost.com. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  28. ^ "Jumbo Floating Restaurant's kitchen boat listing into waters of Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter". The Standard. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  29. ^ "Hong Kong's famed floating restaurant Jumbo towed away after half a century". The Straits Times. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  30. ^ 王潔恩, 梁祖饒, 李穎霖, 呂穎姍 (22 June 2022). "01獨家・沉船位置曝光｜珍寶海鮮舫遠洋拖船 西沙附近不尋常徘徊". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 29 June 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  31. ^ Tangalakis-Lippert, Katherine. "Hong Kong's iconic Jumbo Floating Restaurant is stuck upside down on a coral reef after capsizing earlier this summer". Insider.
  32. ^ "Submerged kitchen barge of sunken Jumbo Floating Restaurant to be lifted this month in Aberdeen". Dimsum Daily. 19 March 2023.
  33. ^ "Hong Kong Jumbo Floating Restaurant capsizing: towing firm rejects foul play claims". South China Morning Post. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  34. ^ "Tugboat that pulled Hong Kong's Jumbo restaurant to watery demise involved in separate sinking last year". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. 22 June 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  35. ^ am730. "珍寶海鮮舫沉入大海 議員促負責人交代". am730 (in Chinese). Retrieved 30 June 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  36. ^ 王潔恩 (21 June 2022). "珍寶海鮮舫｜姊妹船海角皇宮用半潛船運送 業界拆解拖船運送原因". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  37. ^ "The Lost Metropolis". thelostmetropolis.org. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  38. ^ "Hong Kong's Jumbo Floating Restaurant lives on – in virtual form". South China Morning Post. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  39. ^ a b "移居菲律賓後的珍寶海鮮舫，究竟有甚麼遭遇？". *CUP. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  40. ^ "赌王"珍宝海鲜舫"青岛迎第二春 明年试运营_青岛新闻_青岛大众网". qingdao.dzwww.com. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  41. ^ "青岛珍宝海鲜舫装修明年运营 澳门赌王所赠(图)-搜狐青岛". qd.sohu.com. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  42. ^ a b "等待10年 "赌王"何鸿燊赠予青岛的"珍宝海鲜舫"何去何从? - 青岛频道". web.archive.org. 23 June 2022. Archived from the original on 23 June 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  43. ^ "Jumbo Kingdom - Roof Deck" (PDF).
  44. ^ a b c d e "ABERDEEN - HONG KONG EXTRAS3". www.hongkongextras.com. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  45. ^ "Jumbo Kingdom - Dragon Court" (PDF).
  46. ^ "Jumbo Kingdom - Shum Wan Pier Gardens" (PDF).
  47. ^ "蘇記茶檔". OpenRice. Retrieved 17 June 2022.(in Chinese)
  48. ^ Welcome to 18 Districts: Southern District
  49. ^ "Jumbo Kingdom Floating Restaurant | Hong Kong, China Restaurants". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  50. ^ a b c d e f "Films and video games that feature Hong Kong's Jumbo Floating Restaurant". South China Morning Post. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  51. ^ a b "Hong Kong Cinemagic - Mapping Hong Kong film locations". www.hkcinemagic.com. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  52. ^ "特撮特化 - その他まとめ海外編 (Special Effects - Overseas Scenes. In Japanese)". Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  53. ^ "蔡兆浚談珍寶海鮮舫輝煌史". 香港地方誌中⼼ Hong Kong Chronicles Institute (in Chinese). 15 June 2022. 有些局部位置看起來還是珍寶海鮮舫，但其實我們是藉用相鄰的太白海鮮舫來拍攝。Some specific locations appeared to still take place on the Jumbo seafood restaurant, but in actuality we borrowed the adjacent Tai Pak seafood restaurant for the filming.
  54. ^ Shindle, Kim (30 November 2010). "'The Amazing Race' contestants find 'fake' Chinese food". pennlive. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  55. ^ a b Standard, The. "Jumbo and barge owners hit in $4.8m suit". The Standard. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
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