Hong Kong’s Palace Museum reopened walk-in ticketing on Sunday after a calmer day at its blockbuster Egyptian exhibition, following scenes of overcrowding and confusion that forced the museum to halt same-day ticket sales the day before. The exhibition, “Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums,” has drawn unprecedented interest since its opening last Thursday, bringing together 250 artefacts—including a towering statue of Tutankhamun—in what is the largest showcase of Egyptian antiquities ever hosted in the city.
The museum resumed walk-in sales at 3:30pm, limiting availability to manage foot traffic after Saturday’s crowds overwhelmed staff capacity and led to a temporary suspension of ticketing at 11am. To ease pressure, the museum extended closing hours to 8pm and urged visitors to attend during non-peak times or secure tickets online in advance.
Despite lingering concerns from Saturday’s “chaos”—a term used widely across social media, where some demanded refunds—Sunday’s visitors described the experience as far more orderly. Queueing times averaged 15–30 minutes, and guests reported that crowds moved in well-regulated flows with minimal congestion. Staff were observed reminding attendees that the exhibition did not follow a fixed route, preventing unnecessary bottlenecks around key artefacts.
Visitors such as administrative worker Ken Chan said the visit “exceeded expectations,” noting that while the gallery remained busy, “it didn’t feel too crowded” and the tour pace was smooth. Tourists from Macau offered similar feedback, praising the exhibition’s scale, value for money, and the chance to view a wide selection of Egyptian treasures rarely seen outside Cairo.
The museum expects more than 700,000 visitors over the nine-month run, which continues until August 2026 and is priced at HK$190 for adults. Saturday’s disruptions, which culminated in a full sell-out by early evening, prompted the museum to offer all holders an additional complimentary visit within the next three months.
