Iconic Jumbo starts voyage to the unknown

People flocked to Aberdeen to bid farewell to the iconic Jumbo Floating Restaurant as it was towed away at noon yesterday to an undisclosed shipyard outside of Hong Kong.

Two tugboats and three escort vessels arrived at 11.30am to tow the seafood restaurant from the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter.

It is understood the 76-meter-long vessel is on its way to somewhere in Southeast Asia. Marine Department vessels were deployed for support.

However, the restaurant's kitchen barge - which is 37m long and 18m wide and started listing on May 31 - remains at the shelter.

A spokesman for the restaurant's parent company, Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises, said: "A unique icon for local residents and tourists alike, the Jumbo Floating Restaurant has stood proud in Southern District of Hong Kong Island for the past 46 years. Throughout this journey, it has been a great honor for us to share beautiful collective memories with local and foreign visitors.

"We sincerely thank you all for your love and care. We take this opportunity to send you our best wishes for a brighter future."

Dozens of Hongkongers bade farewell to the vessel, taking photos or painting a picture of it one last time.

Mr Cheng, who painted a picture of the ship, said: "This is the result of the wheels of time - that something will be gone."

Mr Ng said: "My friends and my children got married on the ship. I always went to yum cha there, too. We saw it arrive and now we are watching it leaving. I believe it won't come back and we have lost it."

Ben, who used to dine at the restaurant two to three times a year, said he felt sorry as the departure felt like a family member was leaving. Aberdeen Restaurant has said it has found a suitable shipyard for Jumbo but refused to say where it would be docked. The shipyard had requested that it would not be named, it added.

For almost half a century, the Jumbo and its smaller vessel, Tak Pak Restaurant, have been destinations for families and tourists. Tak Pak remains in the Aberdeen shelter.

The Jumbo suspended operations in March 2020 amid the pandemic.

In May this year, Aberdeen Restaurant said it could not find a new operator and there was no place to moor the ship so it was leaving Hong Kong.

sophie.hui@singtaonewscorp.com