The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) is welcoming visitors on a journey across five millennia, as it unveils Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums, a landmark exhibition opening to the public on November 20.
Spanning nine and a half months, the show marks the city’s most ambitious presentation of Egyptian antiquities, bringing together 250 masterpieces from seven major museums across Egypt — many of them never before seen outside the country.
The exhibition arrives at a meaningful moment, ahead of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt in 2026. At the opening ceremony on Tuesday, the atmosphere was one of shared pride and quiet excitement, as officials described the showcase as both a cultural milestone and the beginning of deeper collaboration.
HKPM director Louis Ng Chi-wa called the exhibition “a significant milestone of our cultural exchange,” noting that it celebrates a bond of friendship between two ancient cultures.
Echoing this sentiment, Egypt’s Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mohamed Ismail Khaled, described the exhibition as “a dialogue between past and present… united by reverence for timeless beauty and human creativity.”
Spread across four thematic sections, Ancient Egypt Unveiled traces the full arc of Egyptian civilization — from the world of the pharaohs to recently excavated treasures from Saqqara.
Visitors will encounter monumental stone sculptures, painted coffins, glittering gold jewellery, animal mummies and everyday objects that reveal how ancient Egyptians lived, worked, worshipped, and imagined the afterlife.
Among the highlights is the only surviving monumental stone sculpture of Tutankhamun in Egypt, presented alongside a large array of artefacts from the 18th Dynasty.
The Saqqara section introduces nearly 40 objects uncovered in one of Egypt’s most exciting active archaeological sites, some displayed internationally for the first time.
Khaled noted that these discoveries — including striking cat mummies and coffins — reflect Egypt’s ongoing archaeological vitality.
Meanwhile, the museum’s deputy director Daisy Wang Yiyou said she hopes visitors will walk away with “pride, awe, and connection,” describing the exhibition as a rare chance to appreciate the craftsmanship and spiritual imagination behind the works.
She added that curators found surprising parallels between ancient Chinese and Egyptian cultures, from architectural achievements to shared symbolic language.
Read more: Unveiling Egypt: A journey through power, mystery, and eternal life
Though a similar exhibition was previously shown in Shanghai, Ng stressed that the Hong Kong presentation stands apart in style and ambition.
“Here, we select the best of the best,” he said, adding that HKPM’s audience — from Hong Kong to Southeast Asia — called for an approach that blends international accessibility with cultural depth.
To create an immersive, family-friendly experience, the museum incorporates over ten multimedia installations across its galleries.
Digital projections restore the original colors of fragile artefacts, while interactive stations help visitors explore scripts, rituals, and ancient technologies. A specially created digital shrine even allows visitors to leave virtual offerings to Egyptian deities.
The museum has also developed its first children’s book inspired by the exhibition, alongside hands-on family workshops such as Little Pharaohs, and a special dance performance by Egyptian folk dance masters on November 22.
Both institutions emphasized the close collaboration behind the exhibition. All objects are on loan directly from Egyptian museums under the Supreme Council of Antiquities, marking Hong Kong’s first major exhibition sourced exclusively from Egypt.
Ng shared that the curatorial teams worked side by side in Egypt’s storerooms, excavation sites, and conservation labs — a process he described as mutually enriching. “We learned a lot from them — their professionalism, their technique,” he said.
Khaled noted that the HKPM’s curatorial excellence encourages continued partnership. “Hong Kong Palace Museum is the rising star,” he said with appreciation. “This encourages us to do future collaborations and projects together.”
Special exhibition tickets are priced at HK$190 for adults and HK$95 for concessions, with full-access options also available.
The museum has launched a range of bundles, including family ticket sets and a popular blind-box combo featuring plush collectibles inspired by Egyptian imagery. Visitors can also join guided tours led by docents, curators, or Egyptologists.
As the gallery’s monumental sculptures settle into their new surroundings overlooking Hong Kong’s harbor, Ancient Egypt Unveiled is poised to become one of the city’s cultural centerpieces of 2025–26 — a meeting point between two ancient civilizations, and a shared invitation to rediscover wonder.
marco.lam@singtaonewscorp.com
