The serene Hong Kong Palace Museum has been swept up by a desert wind. The “Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums” was opened last Thursday (20/11) and attracted large numbers of local and international tourists, to have a glimpse of 5000-year-old ancient artefacts.
This exhibition is touted as the most comprehensive presentation of ancient Egyptian treasures ever staged in Hong Kong. It presents an extraordinary collection of 250 precious artefacts from seven prominent Egyptian institutions, including the legendary Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the Luxor Museum of Ancient Egyptian Art. A significant number of these items, including recent archeological discoveries from the sacred necropolis of Saqqara, are not only making their debut in Hong Kong but are also being exhibited outside of Egypt for the very first time.
From imposing statues of pharaohs and deities that seem to gaze through the millennia to intricate gold jewellery, large-scale coffins, and even preserved animal mummies, the exhibition spans the entire timeline of ancient Egyptian History. The artefacts are dispersed across several floors of the museum, encouraging a flow of visitors to enjoy every corner of the building. Interactive digital elements, such as stations where visitors can design their names in hieroglyphs, offer a modern counterpoint to the ancient relics, engaging a younger demographic.
The public response has been immediate and overwhelming. Over the opening weekend, the museum witnessed queues snaking through its entrance plaza. By Sunday (23/11), wait times to enter the exhibition halls reportedly stretched to an hour or more. The scene was one of patient anticipation, with families, students, and tour groups forming a steady stream of visitors, undeterred by the lengthy lines.
“I knew it would be popular, but I didn’t expect this many people,” commented Nichole Chan, a local university student who had waited for 45 minutes. “It’s a rare chance to see these pieces without flying to Cairo.”
Galleries are crowded with visitors. Visitors cluster around the statues, listening closely to a tour guide’s explanation. Docents and informational placards are strategically placed, but the most common sight is that of individuals listening intently, their expressions a mix of curiosity, learning about the rituals of mummification, or the history of different pharaohs.
“The explanation from the tour guide is so detailed and engaging,” said Karen Ng, a local visitor. “People are taking their time to read every description, but it also makes the whole visit process so slow.”
Besides the exhibition halls, the museum’s gift shop also formed another queue. The central draw here is an exclusive “blind box” keyring. Each box contains one of six miniature figurines, including four representing the canopic jars that held specific organs (stomach, liver, lungs, intestines), a Pharaoh, and a Mummy. Their popularity has been so intense that stocks have been running low, with visitors eager to take home a tangible, if randomized, piece of their Egyptian encounter.
The exhibition’s runaway popularity jas prompted official action from the museum management. Since the overwhelming weekend crowds and to ensure a better visitor experience, the museum has publicly advised potential guests to consider visiting on weekdays. A notice on its official channels has stated that on-site ticket sales may be temporarily suspended during peak periods to manage capacity, strongly encouraging the public to purchase tickets online in advance. The museum is monitoring the situation and will restore on-site sales depending on crowd conditions, particularly in the late afternoon.
This strategic move highlights the delicate balance cultural institutions must strike between facilitating access and preserving the quality of the visitor experience. The Hong Kong Palace Museum, in its relatively short history, has become a major cultural magnet, and the addition of a blockbuster Egyptian exhibition has tested its capacity, demonstrating the public’s robust appetite for world-class historical showcases.