10 ancient Egypt-themed buses, spanning the Pet Bus, HK1 Open-Top Bus, and buses along Route W4 and 296D, will bring “Pharaoh Cat” and “KMB Boy” on a journey across Hong Kong inspired by the Hong Kong Palace Museum’s “Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums” special exhibition
The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM or the Museum) has partnered with The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) to launch the limited time “KMB Pharaoh Cat Buses”. Starting from 7 March (Saturday), 10 themed buses will enter service, allowing the wider community to experience the Museum’s special exhibition “Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums” (“Ancient Egypt Unveiled”) in fresh ways. Featuring the exhibition’s popular “Pharaoh Cat” character alongside the beloved “KMB Boy”, the buses extend the ancient Egyptian cultural experience beyond the Museum, offering an engaging and accessible encounter with ancient Egyptian history across KMB routes connected to the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK). Jointly organised by the HKPM and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) of Egypt, “Ancient Egypt Unveiled” is the largest, most comprehensive, and longest-running display of ancient Egyptian treasures in Hong Kong. This destination exhibition is proudly supported by Bank of China (Hong Kong), the Museum’s Strategic Partner, with Cathay and UnionPay International as the Major Sponsors.
Beloved characters “KMB Boy” and “Pharaoh Cat” guide passengers on a cross-cultural journey between Hong Kong and ancient Egypt
Launching on 7 March for a one-month run, the 10 “KMB Pharaoh Cat Buses” will operate along the “KMB Tour HK” Open Top Bus Route HK1, the newly launched WestK-focused “Pet Bus Tour”, Route W4 [High Speed Rail (West Kowloon Station) ⇋ Tsim Sha Tsui (Circular)] and Route 296D [Sheung Tak ⇋ Kowloon Station], all of which travel through WestK. The “KMB Pharaoh Cat Buses” feature an ancient Egypt-themed exterior that vividly depicts the adorable characters “KMB Boy” and “Pharaoh Cat”, alongside cultural elements such as pyramids, the blue hippo, the sphinx, and hieroglyphs.
Inside the buses, themed decals and seatback displays showcase connections between Hong Kong’s cultural tourism highlights and ancient Egyptian artefacts. Through parallels in food culture, traditional customs, and writing systems, the design invites passengers to uncover intriguing cultural insights during their journey, offering a relaxed yet inspiring exploration of two great civilisations.
At over 100 bus stops across Hong Kong, the Museum has introduced special digital posters presented in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, Traditional Chinese, and English. The lightbox displays introduce two themed routes that highlight cultural landmarks along the “KMB Tour HK” Open Top Bus Route HK1, along with “Hieroglyph Fun Facts” that allow passengers to discover the ancient Egyptian writing system as they explore the city. The two themed routes are: “Deep Dive into Hong Kong’s Art Scene”, which showcases culturally vibrant areas such as the Art Park at WestK and Tai Nan Street in Sham Shui Po; and “Hong Kong Heritage Cultural Tour”, which focuses on Hong Kong’s historical and traditional cultural landmarks, including the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower.
In celebration of “Art March Hong Kong 2026”, the HKPM and KMB will distribute 500 “Ancient Egypt Unveiled” Special Exhibition Tickets during the one-month operation of the “KMB Pharaoh Cat Buses”. Members of the public can redeem tickets using eCoins via KMB’s mobile app “APP1993”. Details of the campaign will be announced soon on the HKPM and KMB’s social media platforms. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
DJ Ah Jeng joins “Searching for Pharaoh’s Cat” campaign-winners in boarding the pet-friendly “KMB Pharaoh Cat Bus” for an exclusive first ride
Launched during the “Hong Kong Pet Show 2026” in January, the HKPM’s “Searching for Pharaoh’s Cat” campaign attracted nearly 4,000 photo entries of participants’ beloved cats, with 25 most popular entries selected through public voting. The HKPM will host the “Searching for Pharaoh’s Cat Campaign Fun Day” on 7 March (Saturday), inviting 25 winners to board the “KMB Pharaoh Cat Bus” with their pets for an exclusive first ride. Commercial Radio Hong Kong DJ Ah Jeng, who previously starred in the Museum’s creative video series, will join the winners on a pet-friendly experience of ancient Egyptian culture.
Dr Louis Ng, Museum Director of the HKPM, said, “The Hong Kong Palace Museum is delighted to collaborate with KMB on this cross-sector initiative to bring elements of ancient Egyptian culture into Hong Kong communities in innovative ways, extending the experience of the ‘Ancient Egypt Unveiled’ exhibition beyond the Museum. 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. Moving forward, the HKPM will continue to partner with different sectors to enrich cultural tourism and connect with the community and diverse audiences.”
Ms Emily Cheung, Commercial Director of KMB, said, “KMB is glad to collaborate across sectors with the Hong Kong Palace Museum to continue the momentum of the ‘Ancient Egypt Unveiled’ exhibition. Rooted in Hong Kong for 93 years, KMB has long served the community and actively played the role of ‘Heartbeat of the City’. Through this partnership, the ‘KMB Pharaoh Cat Buses’ will travel across different parts of the city, showcasing the unique charm of ancient Egyptian civilization to residents and visitors. This reflects KMB’s commitment to making good use of its public transport network to cooperate with various sectors in promoting cultural, artistic, and tourism development.”
KMB’s “Pet Bus Tour”, featuring five new routes and now expanded to daily operation, includes four routes with WestK as its hub, connecting GO PARK Sai Sha, AIRSIDE in Kai Tak, Wan Chai Promenade, Discovery Bay, and other pet-friendly hotspots, offering greater convenience for pet owners travelling with their companions.
Remarks
About the Hong Kong Palace Museum
The Hong Kong Palace Museum aspires to become a leading institution on the study and appreciation of Chinese art and culture while advancing dialogue between world civilisations. The Hong Kong Palace Museum is a collaborative project between the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority and the Palace Museum and is funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust with a donation of HK$3.5 billion for its establishment, as well as some of the annual exhibitions and education programmes in 2023–2031.
Embracing new curatorial approaches, the Museum combines a Hong Kong perspective with a global vision to present precious artefacts from the Palace Museum and other important cultural institutions around the world. Through research, exhibitions, and educational and professional exchange programmes, the Museum aims to build international partnerships and position Hong Kong as a global hub for art and culture. At heart a resource that belongs to the local community, the Museum strives to inspire community engagement, foster dialogue, and promote creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration.
About the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK)
WestK is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural projects in the world. Its vision is to create a vibrant new cultural quarter for Hong Kong on 40 hectares of reclaimed land located alongside Victoria Harbour. With a varied mix of theatres, performance spaces, and museums, WestK will produce and host world-class exhibitions, performances, and cultural events, providing 23 hectares of public open space, including a two-kilometre waterfront promenade.
https://www.westk.hk/
About The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) is Hong Kong's largest franchised bus operator, committed to providing exceptional transportation service and travel experience for all passengers. Supported by a dedicated workforce of over 11,000 employees, including approximately 8,700 professional bus captains, KMB upholds the highest service standards and an unwavering dedication to quality. Since our establishment in 1933, we have accompanied the Hong Kong society through every season, rain or shine.
KMB's commitment to service excellence extends beyond conventional bus rides to address diverse transportation needs. Recognizing the growing number of pet-owning citizens who encounter travel challenges, KMB pioneered the city’s first regular and extensive pet-friendly transport service: the Pet Bus. In its inaugural year, our double-decker and single-decker Pet Buses accommodated pets and their owners over 20,000 times, delivering memorable experiences and promoting a more inclusive, pet-friendly community.
Innovation and technology remain central to our mission of enhancing community welfare and fostering a more liveable city. Our enhanced mobile application, APP1933, utilizes artificial intelligence to recommend optimal bus routes and seamless interchanges. The newly introduced “Estimate Journey Time” feature enables passengers to plan their journeys with greater precision and convenience. KMB is ushering in a greener era by expanding our eco-friendly bus fleet. We are committed to introducing more advanced electric buses that offer improved performance and zero emission which help to shape a cleaner, smarter Hong Kong. We are proud to be more than just a bus company. We are, and always will be, the Heartbeat of the City.
https://www.kmb.hk/
