HK Palace Museum brings ancient Egypt to HK streets

The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) has partnered with The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (KMB) to launch the limited-time “KMB Pharaoh Cat Buses.”

Starting 7 March, 10 themed buses will hit the roads, bringing the museum’s special exhibition, Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums, to communities across Hong Kong in a fresh and engaging way.

Adorned with the exhibition’s beloved “Pharaoh cat” character alongside the iconic “KMB Boy,” the buses feature vibrant ancient Egyptian-themed exteriors, complete with pyramids, the blue hippo, the sphinx, and hieroglyphs. The design extends the cultural experience beyond the museum walls, offering an accessible and immersive journey into ancient Egyptian history along key KMB routes connected to the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK).

The 10 “KMB Pharaoh Cat Buses” will operate on several routes that travel through WestK, including the “KMB Tour HK” open-top bus Route HK1, the newly launched pet-friendly bus tour focused on WestK, Route W4 (High Speed Rail West Kowloon Station ⇋ Tsim Sha Tsui Circular), and Route 296D (Sheung Tak ⇋ Kowloon Station).

To celebrate the launch, HKPM will host the “Searching for Pharaoh’s Cat Fun Day” on the same day, inviting 25 winners of the “Searching for Pharaoh’s Cat” campaign to enjoy an exclusive first ride aboard the themed bus with their pets. Joining them will be Commercial Radio Hong Kong DJ Ah Jeng, who previously starred in the museum’s creative video series, adding a touch of star power to this pet-friendly cultural experience.

Emily Cheung, commercial director of KMB, noted that the collaboration reflects the company's commitment to "making good use of its public transport network to cooperate with various sectors in promoting cultural, artistic, and tourism development."

“This collaboration weaves ancient Egyptian civilisation into the rhythms of Hong Kong’s urban life, allowing the public to appreciate its unique charm and rich cultural heritage in an accessible and engaging manner,” said Louis Ng Chi-wa, museum director of the HKPM.

This comes as part of the museum's initiatives to spotlight the special exhibition. Earlier this year, Starbucks Hong Kong launched the “Hong Kong Palace Museum Ancient Egypt Collection” across all Starbucks locations in Hong Kong. It also partnered with three local artists to design the interior of the concept store. 

To extend the cultural experience beyond the museum and deepen community engagement, the HKPM also launched a series of online and offline promotional activities featuring the iconic Pharaoh and beloved cats of ancient Egypt. The three-part creative video series “Pharaoh Meets Hong Kong” follows the story of Pharaoh exploring the city alongside Commercial Radio Hong Kong DJ Ah Jeng. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to HK Palace Museum for more information.

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