People waited patiently outside Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall (VCH) to catch a glimpse of a 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex (T-Rex) skeleton, hours before the display was open to the public.
The 12.2m-long skeleton, which was discovered in Montana in the United States, is on public display at VCH’s atrium from 10am to 6pm between Friday and Sunday, before it goes under the hammer on Nov 30 in Hong Kong.
Shen, which means “god-like” in Chinese, is the first T-Rex to be auctioned in Asia, and its estimated value is between US$15 million (S$21 million) and US$25 million.
Just before 10am, when the venue opened, there was a long line outside the designated queuing area at The Arts House at the Old Parliament next door.
By 1pm, VCH’s atrium was filled with around 50 awestruck visitors, comprising families, teenagers, seniors and tourists. They circled the fossil, cameras in hand, taking in the dinosaur’s ferocious stance and serrated teeth.
Shen’s public display was organised by auction house Christie’s Hong Kong, and the predator will headline its 20th/21st Century Art Evening Sale in Hong Kong in November.
The other items to be auctioned, from luxury goods to artwork, will also be showcased in The Arts House this weekend.
In 2020, 79 T-Rex bones were unearthed on remote, fossil-rich land in Montana. The skeleton, which was named Shen, was later assembled with additional casts, since a whole T-Rex has about 380 bones.
Many of the visitors on Friday were fans of the Jurassic Park films and had a fascination for dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures since they were children.
Life sciences undergraduate Timothy Leong, 24, who has been interested in dinosaurs since he was three, said: “I like to look at the intricacies of what makes a T-Rex unique, like the way its skull is shaped and its tooth structure. I’ve read about it in books, but it’s fascinating to see it up close.”
The auctioning of rare fossils has historically been contentious because wealthy private collectors can outbid museums that showcase such key relics of natural history.
Palaeontologists worry that if collectors buy a dinosaur fossil, it will no longer be accessible to the public or scientists.
Visitors said they hope Shen will end up in a museum or public institution in Asia.
Leong said: “Fossils are so rare, especially this one, as it is so big and relatively complete.”
He added that palaeontologists should have access to Shen for research and further the understanding of the T-Rex species.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES