Running through August 2026, a brand-new exhibition in West Kowloon comprises 250 precious artifacts on loan from seven major Egyptian institutions.

Hong Kong Palace Museum’s latest exhibition is titled “Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums.” (Courtesy Hong Kong Palace Museum)

Asia-based history buffs need not fly to Cairo for a glimpse of ancient Egypt: closer to home, you can get a feel for one of the world’s longest-lasting civilizations through the latest showcase at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. The major institution in the harborfront West Kowloon Cultural District has teamed up with the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt to launch “Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums,” open until August 31, 2026.

In the building’s top-floor galleries, four thematic sections provide a temporary home for 250 artifacts, many of which are being displayed outside Egypt for the very first time. These range from the only known monumental stone sculpture of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun to 40 of the latest archaeological finds from excavations in Saqqara, a burial ground outside Ancient Egypt’s earliest capital. Recently unearthed treasures from the site include a meticulously painted wooden coffin, and seven cat mummies dedicated to the worship of Bastet—goddess of the home, fertility, and childbirth. Also featured in the showcase is a fine bronze Bastet statue on loan from the Egyptian Museum of Cairo.

Other highlights run the gamut from a collar of gold and gemstones that originally adorned the mummy of a princess to a gold diadem from the Valley of the Kings, and a bust of Rameses II. But it isn’t all about royalty and religious practice. Some artifacts offer clues about ancient Egyptian daily life, like a statue of two men brewing beer, and even a preserved triangular loaf of bread made of emmer wheat, dating to around 2000 BCE.

This painted wooden statue of two men brewing beer dates back more than 4,000 years. (© The Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt)

A broad collar and counterpoise in gold and gemstones on loan from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. (© Hong Kong Palace Museum)

One section of the exhibition creates a cultural dialogue between ancient Egypt, the Greco-Roman world, and regions farther beyond. Egyptian artifacts juxtaposed with ancient Chinese objects allow visitors to compare and contrast the two civilizations that developed in parallel on opposite sides of the Old World.

To make things even more compelling, the Hong Kong Palace Museum has developed a series of multimedia installations, with one creating a digital reconstruction of the Tutankhamun statue and its original colors, and another explaining the step-by-step process of preparing a life-size mummy for burial.

Those on a tighter schedule may want to book a spot on a daily 45- to 60-minute tour of the exhibition highlights led by a docent. Weekly curator tours are available only in Cantonese and Mandarin. Tickets for the exhibition can be bought through the websites of both the Hong Kong Palace Museum and West Kowloon Cultural District.

Ancient Egyptian statues and stelae in the exhibition galleries at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. (© Hong Kong Palace Museum)

Ancient Egyptian Treasures are on Show in Hong Kong

Stay inspired with our DestinAsian newsletters