If, like us, you’ve always been a huge fan of ancient Egyptian lore, then put that interactive Egyptology book that you’ve kept since childhood back onto the bookshelf and head out to the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM)! In a landmark collaboration between the HKPM and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) of Egypt, 250 treasures and relics from the land of the Pharaohs will be on display in Hong Kong for nine and a half months.
Named ‘Ancient Egypt Unveiled’, this exhibition is the largest, most comprehensive, and longest-running display of ancient Egyptian artefacts Hong Kong has ever seen, displaying archaeological finds loaned straight from Egypt. Seven museums affiliated with the SCA of Egypt – including the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Luxor Museum of the Ancient Egyptian Art, the Suez Museum, and more – have shipped over their priceless collections to be shown in Hong Kong.
The exhibition also includes more recent archaeological discoveries from Saqqara – the necropolis of the ancient capital Memphis. Think everything from monumental statues and mummy coffins, to death masks and everyday objects, spanning nearly 4,000 years of history. Many of these artefacts are being shown outside of Egypt for the very first time.
Some of our favourite highlights include a set of canopic jars used to store internal organs in the mummification and burial process; statues of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut and Rameses II; painted coffins of wood and stone; a Book of the Dead papyrus scroll; and even an ancient Egyptian toilet seat. On your way out of the main exhibition hall, don’t miss the small room just left of the exit which shows cross-cultural encounters between ancient Egypt and other early civilisations – this is where you can find a stone stele inscribed with three scripts (Egyptian hieroglyphs, Egyptian demotic script, and ancient Greek) that brings to mind the Rosetta Stone.
Stop by the gift store to pick up folders, clothing, bags, stationery, even perfume, and much more that’s all Egyptian themed. Call us brainwashed by the plush toy trend, but the star of the show here is the blind-box series featuring six bag charm collectibles in iconic Egyptian figures such as canopic jars, pharaohs, and mummies!
The ‘Ancient Egypt Unveiled’ exhibition is available through the HKPM’s special access ticket, priced at $190 for adults, which allows entry into all thematic exhibitions in galleries one to seven as well as this special one. Full access tickets, priced at $230 for adults, allows entry to everything from galleries one to nine. There’s also a family package available with discounts of up to 20 percent, or the ‘blind box + full access flex ticket’ combo which costs $368 and includes one ancient Egyptian blind box. Until November 30, members of HKPM Friends will also receive a special-edition plush bag charm which is not for sale.
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