Artifacts of 56 pharaohs from British Museum to wow Taiwan until 2027

Taipei, Feb. 17 (CNA) Some 280 artifacts from the days of Egypt's pharaohs are now on display in Tainan, courtesy of the prestigious British Museum, in what has been hailed as the biggest Egyptology exhibition to ever be held in Taiwan.

The show at Chimei Museum, which runs until January 2027, is the Tainan museum's fourth collaboration with the British Museum and presents artifacts from Egypt's more than 30 dynasties spanning around 3,000 years -- from about 3,400 B.C. to 30 B.C.

Among the relics on display are jewelry, burial relics, religious architecture and giant statues from the times of great monarchs, including Ramesses II, young Tutankhamun, Thutmose III, and female pharaoh Hatshepsut as well as Alexander the Great.

The relics range from a gold piece as small as 2 centimeters to statues as heavy as 2 metric tons.

To attract prospective visitors other than history buffs, anthropologists, archaeologists and Egyptologists, Chimei Museum said it has organized guided tours to help educate curious visitors on the richness of Egypt's history and will also offer a virtual reality experience.

For children, the museum has designed children-friendly tours, available at an extra cost of NT$150 (US$4.78), and will give them a chance to win souvenirs made in the likeness of animal-based Egyptian deities such as the cat-headed Bastet and crocodile-headed Sobek.

Visitors arriving from outside Tainan will be able to buy Taiwan high speed rail tickets at 15 percent off when purchasing a ticket to the Pharaoh exhibition.

Admission to the show is NT$580.