Ever wondered what it would be like to walk among pharaohs, queens and ancient gods without leaving Hong Kong? From 20 November 2025 to 31 August 2026, the Hong Kong Palace Museum is doing exactly that with Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums – a landmark special exhibition created in collaboration with Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA).
Billed as the largest and most comprehensive display of Egyptian artifacts ever shown in the city, it brings together around 250 treasures and recent archaeological discoveries on loan directly from Egypt, including from seven SCA-affiliated museums. In one visit, you’ll journey through nearly 4,000 years of ancient Egyptian history, with objects that in total span some 5,000 years of civilisation.
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Monumental Artifacts Across Thematic Sections
The exhibition is divided into four thematic sections, with the first three anchoring the storyline. It opens with ‘The Land of the Pharaohs,’ an expansive look at the powerful convergence of royal and religious authority in ancient Egypt, where pharaohs were believed to mediate between gods and humans. Here you’ll meet some of history’s most recognisable rulers through sculpture – including Senusret I, Hatshepsut and Rameses II – alongside objects that illuminate both ritual and everyday life. Expect painted wooden coffins, amulets, canopic jars, musical instruments, and even something as disarmingly ordinary as a toilet seat, all helping to make this storied civilisation feel immediate and human.
From there, the path leads into ‘The World of Tutankhamun,’ immersing visitors in the brief but pivotal reign of Egypt’s most famous boy king. Monumental stone sculptures of Tutankhamun and Akhenaten take centre stage, joined by a quartzite head of Queen Nefertiti, often hailed as ancient Egypt’s most beautiful queen. This is where the artistic heights of Egypt’s golden age come into focus: you’ll find gold jewellery, faience objects and finely worked sculptures that speak to both royal glamour and the sophistication of ancient craftsmanship.
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The third core section, ‘The Secrets of Saqqara,’ shifts the gaze to the latest discoveries from Saqqara, the ancient necropolis near Cairo that houses Egypt’s oldest pyramids, including the Step Pyramid of Djoser, as well as grand tombs. Here, archaeology feels thrillingly alive. Visitors encounter painted anthropoid coffins, animal mummies – such as sacred cats and cattle – and statues of deities with animal features, all pointing to the complex spiritual life of the period. A rare architectural fragment from the temple of the feline goddess Bastet serves as the section’s keystone, offering fresh insight into the scale and significance of ancient Egyptian animal worship.
The final thematic chapter, ‘Ancient Egypt and the World,’ broadens the lens to explore Egypt’s place in a wider network of ancient cultures. Here you’ll see mummy masks bearing Greek and Roman influences, along with other artifacts that reveal centuries of cross-cultural encounters. This section also mirrors the exhibition’s present-day context, celebrating the long-standing collaboration between China and Egypt in archaeology and cultural heritage, and coinciding with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2026.
A Cultural Dialogue Across Millennia
To keep things firmly in the 21st century, ‘Ancient Egypt Unveiled’ layers in more than 10 multimedia experiences designed to bring the ancient world vividly to life. Standout moments range from 3D projection mapping that restores the original colours of Tutankhamun’s colossal statue, to immersive videos unpacking the mummification process, and hands-on hieroglyphic stations where visitors can experiment with ancient scripts. It feels part museum, part time machine, with technology helping to close a gap of thousands of years.
Beyond the vitrines, Hong Kong Palace Museum is expanding the exhibition into a full programme of educational and cultural activities for all ages. Guests can join workshops to craft Egyptian-style jewellery, build pyramid models, or create cat temple replicas inspired by Bastet. A full schedule of public talks, performing arts events – including an Egyptian dance showcase – and guided tours will offer richer context for anyone curious to move past the headlines and explore the textures of ancient Egyptian daily life and belief.
Tickets Available Now
Tickets are available now at a variety of tiers:
- Special Exhibition Tickets granting access to Gallery 1-7 and the ‘Ancient Egypt Unveiled’ exhibition (Gallery 9) are priced starting at HKD$190 for adults and HKD$95 for concessions.
- Full Access Tickets, which also include Gallery 8’s Mughal Court exhibition, start at HKD$230 for adults and HKD$115 for concessions.
- Family ticket combos offer savings at 1 adult + 1 child for HKD$240 and 2 adults + 1 child for HKD$380.
- Guided tours are available for HKD$340 for adults and HDK$170 for concessions – lasting around 45 minutes on a first come, first served basis.
Born in Korea and raised in Hong Kong, Min Ji has combined her degree in anthropology and creative writing with her passion for going on unsolicited tangents as an editor at Friday Club. In between watching an endless amount of movies, she enjoys trying new cocktails and pastas while occasionally snapping a few pictures.
