Landmark ancient Egypt exhibition welcomed 600 thousand visitors in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s captivated public has bidden farewell to ‘Ancient Egypt Unveils Its Secrets: Treasures from Egyptian Museums,’ which wrapped up a blockbuster nine-month run at the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

Drawing over 600,000 visitors between November 18, 2025, and August 31, 2026, the exhibition’s impressive turnout serves as a striking reminder of the world’s endless fascination with the land of the Pharaohs.

Marking the exhibition’s grand finale and the start of the artifacts’ journey home, Hisham al-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities—representing Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy—joined museum leadership at a joint press conference in Hong Kong alongside Dr. Ahmed Hameeda, Head of the Museums Sector.

The showcase offered a sweeping narrative of ancient Egyptian life, bringing together 250 masterworks drawn from eight Egyptian museums and key archaeological sites.

Among the showstoppers were a monumental quartzite statue of King Tutankhamun weighing nearly 2.7 tons from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, a imposing granite likeness of King Merneptah, and a dazzling gilded mummy mask on loan from the Hurghada Museum.

Alongside these heavyweights, visitors marveled at intimate glimpses of daily life, including delicate papyrus scrolls, intricate gold jewelry, stone carvings, and even preserved specimens of ancient Egyptian bread.

Reflecting on the exhibition’s triumph, Al-Leithy noted that international showcases remain a powerful engine for cross-cultural connection and a vital showcase for Egypt’s cultural tourism. With logistics, packing, and high-security transport now underway, the priceless collection is set to return home to Egypt, closing out a seamless collaborative effort between museum, restoration, and diplomatic teams across both regions.