The Hong Kong Palace Museum has announced that its current exhibition of ancient Egyptian artifacts will be its most profitable show since opening three years ago. Director Louis Ng Chi-wa revealed that 76,000 visitors attended in the first four weeks, with expectations of 700,000 over the nine-month run.
The Hong Kong Palace Museum announced on Thursday that a display of hundreds of ancient Egyptian artifacts will be its most profitable exhibition yet since opening three years ago. The show, titled 'Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums,' features pieces carefully selected from 700 presented in Shanghai earlier this year.
Director Louis Ng Chi-wa said: 'We expected it would be popular, but it is even more popular in terms of both visitor numbers and demand for related merchandise. It will be the most profitable show at [the museum] since we opened three years ago.' About 76,000 people had visited in the first four weeks of its run, and management expects around 700,000 over the nine-month period.
The costs for staging the exhibition, including insurance and logistics, are the highest to date for the museum. It is managed by the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, whose operating deficit widened by 33 percent to HK$769 million (US$98.84 million) in the financial year ending March 31.
The museum also revealed that nine other shows are in the pipeline for next year, aiming to bolster its cultural offerings amid financial pressures.