CHINA: DECOMMISSIONED P&O SHIP S-S ORIANA FINDS NEW HOME
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- Опубликовано: 20 июл 2015
- (18 Nov 1998) Natural Sound
From monarchy to people's republic, a former ship of Britain's royal fleet has found a new home in China.
Bought by a Chinese entertainment company, the 40 year old luxury liner S-S Oriana arrived in Shanghai's harbour to be refitted and reopened as a floating museum to the royal way of life.
This ship, docking in Shanghai's harbour, is the S-S Oriana - a 245 metres-long luxury liner which used to be the Asian yacht of Britain's Royal Family, and which now belongs to the Peoples Republic of China.
Built in England in 1960 as the sister boat of the `Queen Elizabeth', the S-S Oriana was the flagship of the P&O maritime company.
Considered for many years among the world's 4th most luxurious ship, the S-S Oriana was decommissioned in 1986.
Bought then by a Japanese company, the ship made its last trans-ocean trip to Japan where, after renovation, it served ten more years as a luxury pleasure ship.
Then, because of its age, the old ship from Liverpool, England, became no longer commercially viable.
But due to its historical past, as signs aboard the ship still indicates, it is still able to attract attention.
In 1995, a Chinese businessman travelling in the south of Japan, noticed her anchored in a harbour and expressed his interest to her Japanese owners.
The ship crossed the Yellow sea to end up in the northern Chinese port of Qinhuangdao on the Bohai sea in Hubei province, where, for 3 years, she was used as an entertainment spot, floating karaoke club and hotel.
At the beginning of 1998, a Shanghainese local tourist company owning a department store chain decided to buy it and make it their company emblem and try to restore some of her glorious Royal past.
The company objective is to renovate the ship, its 300 bedrooms, dancing and dining halls, swimming pool, golf court, cinema, bars and open it up to the Chinese public.
SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin)
"Before this kind of ship came here, people in this country would have got no chance to go aboard a luxurious boat like this, nobody would have allowed them and they would not have been able to. Now it will be different. Ordinary people who will want to enjoy for a while the atmosphere of a luxurious ship will be able to for a small amount of money. I think
it's a great idea to provide Chinese ordinary people with this kind
of opportunity."
SUPER CAPTION: Zhang Yuan, Oriana Entertainment Co.
The Shanghai Oriana Entertainment Company is expecting to spend 120 million renminbi (14.5 million US dollars) in the first phase of renovation.
This first phase should be completed by the end of march 1999.
Once renovation is fully completed, at the end of 1999, the S-S Oriana will at last return to her intended duties - taking visitors and steaming up and down the Huangpu river.
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My heart bleeds for such a graceful ladies end, I served on her in the 60's, RIP dear lady, al scrapper now, an era never to return.
I have archive footage of the S-S Oriana going through the PANAMA CANAL back in the MID 70's...
A different "Red Duster" to the one I sailed on....
China should never have been allowed near such a gem. They destroy anything good the west creates.
Gus W So True!
Was once the fastest ship on the seas and a popular cruise liner until the chinese get a hold of it and trash it with a CCP flag and paint everything red. Ofcourse after the trashing it was set on fire and destroyed. Insurance job. What a waste.
A hideous ship.
no its a 1 of a kind
My dad worked on there
What do you mean hideous?
@@thechosenone9965 Not very appealing to see externally - she has a wonderful interior tho
@@astereux4519 wtf? Her exterior is great