Feng Shang Princess: The Floating Pagoda
Why is it significant?
Take a moment to admire that extraordinary two-storey red pagoda boat floating peacefully in Cumberland Basin ahead: the Feng Shang Princess.
Key Facts
| Place | Feng Shang Princess: The Floating Pagoda |
|---|---|
| Address | Southern Moorings, Cumberland Basin, London NW1 4NX |
| Geo Coordinates | 51.53650, -0.14720 |
| Part of Walk | Regent's Canal: Floating Cafes, Waterways & Camden Lock |
| Generated | Generated |
Take a moment to admire that extraordinary two-storey red pagoda boat floating peacefully in Cumberland Basin ahead: the Feng Shang Princess. Hand-crafted in Hong Kong in the nineteen eighties and shipped in sections halfway around the globe to be assembled right here on the water, it is London's most famous floating dining landmark.
What was Cumberland Basin before this floating temple arrived? This broad basin was once the thriving terminus of the Cumberland Arm, a busy branch canal dug in eighteen sixteen to haul fresh vegetables, hay for carriage horses, and cattle directly to Cumberland Market. During the Blitz of nineteen forty, German air raids blasted the area, and the rubble from bombed Marylebone buildings was dumped into the canal arm to fill it in permanently, leaving only this picturesque turning pool.
Look at the ornate wooden carvings, the sweeping turned-up eaves, and the golden dragon heads framing the upper deck. In the nineteen nineties, music royalty gathered here: Paul McCartney regularly celebrated family birthdays aboard this boat, and celebrities slipped down the quiet towpath away from Fleet Street paparazzi.
When dusk settles and the red silk lanterns reflect across the dark mirror of the water, Cumberland Basin feels like a forgotten corner of Suzhou rather than a transport artery of the British Industrial Revolution. From here, the canal turns towards Camden, and the peaceful greenery slowly gives way to brick warehouses.