Opinion

Jumbo Floating Restaurant saga another sign of Hong Kong’s inability to preserve its contemporary history

The departure of the restaurant would be a sad continuation of the trend of post-World-War-II local history disappearing – leaving gaps in the city’s historical landscape

This is not just about business – it concerns an outdated antiquities assessment process, preserving Hong Kong’s collective memory and establishing the future of tourism in the city

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The iconic Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Aberdeen could leave Hong Kong in weeks as its operator has warned that being closed for two years because of the pandemic has racked up large, unsustainable bills. Photo: Sam Tsang

John Hanzhang Ye is a PhD student in science and technology history at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and also holds an MPhil degree in sociology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Published: 6:45am, 10 Jun 2022Updated: 5:48pm, 15 Jun 2022

Recent days have seen Hong Kong suffer another blow, with the Jumbo Floating Restaurant – a long-standing icon of the city – set to leave in weeks amid mounting losses during the pandemic. Social media has been filled with discussion about the potential loss and discontent over the government’s lack of action.

This is just the latest example of Hong Kong’s inability to preserve its contemporary history. Another case in point is the General Post Office building in Central, which opened in 1976. In 2019, the government announced plans to demolish it, sparking a series of discussions on preserving buildings built since the 1970s.

Contemporary buildings rarely get sufficient attention when facing the wrecking ball; in most cases, they are too recent for the government and public to fully appreciate their historical value.

In the case of the General Post Office building, groups requested that the Antiquities Advisory Board carry out grading assessments. This was rejected on the basis of a 2013 ruling not to carry out such assessments on buildings built from 1970. It appears the government has no intention of reviewing that decision.