The sky was overcast and the sound of a fog horn sounded for a long time as a sign of farewell. On June 14, Jumbo, the world’s largest floating restaurant left Hong Kong forever. Aberdeen Bay will no longer be what it was, now orphaned by the huge neon lights and thousands of colored bulbs that lit up its nights for nearly 50 years.
1976, Stanley Ho
Towed to who knows where? and to what end? Mystery. The story for us ends here.
It began the day when the Macao casino magnate, Stanley Ho, decided to finance the construction of an extraordinary restaurant boat where everyone would dream of sitting down…
Charles Lai, the architect chosen, decided to sail against the trend in vogue, ie “modern”. He favored the identity of the island, very attached to its roots, to its urban particularities. Hongkongers will love it. In 1976, Jumbo, like a floating imperial palace 76 m long, distributed over 3 floors variegated with green, red and gold, opened its doors… As well as its throne room where amateurs eager to have your picture taken in the costume of a Chinese emperor! The boat becomes “the place to be” for all who travel including crowned heads (Queen Elisabeth and the Prince Consort) movie stars and other celebrities from around the world. Access to this temple of luxury is via the eight sampan-taxis bearing the effigy of Jumbo, moored at the quays. the chef in front of the table of guests!
2002, Lawrence Ho
Wealthy of the shares of Jumbo bequeathed to him by his father and in association with Aberdeen Restaurant Entreprise, Lawrence devotes 35 million dollars to the modernization of the complex. There is also a dim sum restaurant, a bar, a large terrace and even a maritime museum. The image of the Jumbo is increasingly evolving towards a tourist attraction for organized trips, a visual element intervening in most Asian and Western films shot in Hong Kong. At the same time, the mainland Chinese shun the island more and more markedly. A turning point begins. The economic model wears out over the years, the imperial ship loses its luster…
2011 Filming of “Contagion”
This film (Steven Soderbergh/Matt Damon in the lead role) tells a terrifying story: how a deadly virus spreads frantically from a local market; several million people will die before a cure is found. A very bad omen for Jumbo, whose financial difficulties will increase from 2013. And become insurmountable when a virus that appeared on a Chinese market in 2019 will go away around the world. The Covid 19 will give the final blow to this flamboyant boat-restaurant which has become legendary and which leaves a great void among the sampans of the port of Aberdeen.
