This 46-year-old Hong Kong Iconic Floating Restaurant Closes Due To COVID-19

Jumbo Floating Restaurant, Hong Kong, China. (Wikimedia Commons/Bogdan Mitronov-Slob…)

JAKARTA - The COVID-19 pandemic that has hit the world for the past two years has undeniably affected all sectors of life, apart from health. The world of education to business was also affected, as felt by one of these famous restaurants.

Almost 50 years old, this iconic restaurant in Hong Kong, China must feel the bitter effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, this restaurant is so famous that it has been visited by world leaders and Hollywood celebrities, in the United States.

Jumbo Floating Restaurant is now a memory after efforts to revitalize the restaurant business failed, making Hong Kong have to say goodbye on Tuesday last week.

Opened in 1976, this restaurant is a popular tourist destination known for its fresh seafood and traditional Cantonese cuisine its design resembles a Chinese imperial palace.

The acclaimed attraction, which has been featured in several local and international films, has played host to the likes of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and celebrity Tom Cruise, reports Kyodo News on June 15.

Rows of speed boats parked in front of Jumbo Floating Restaurant, Hong Kong. (Wikimedia Commons/James Nash)

However, after nearly half a century in business, the restaurant on the waters off Hong Kong Island was temporarily closed in March 2020, citing financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jumbo was initially promised new life by Hong Kong leader, Carrie Lam, who pledged to revitalize it as a cultural heritage and distinctive tourist attraction, under the city government's initiative to rebuild the Southern District of Hong Kong Island in her 2022 policy speech.

But that promise fell through as Jumbo's parent company said last month it could not find a new operator, according to local media reports.

Jumbo operators have reportedly offered to donate the restaurant to about a dozen companies over the past year but were unable to find an interest due to annual maintenance costs of millions per year, according to the report.

The restaurant will be moved overseas and await a new operator, but its exact whereabouts will not be disclosed due to privacy concerns, the report said.