Record-breaking exhibition set to bid farewell to Shanghai

Shanghai Museum announced a series of upcoming projects for its ongoing exhibition On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt, which is scheduled to conclude in 100 days.

As one of the most favored art events in the city, the exhibition will close on Aug 17. The museum has kicked off a series of promotional campaigns for the 100-day countdown before the conclusion, calling on visitors to "grab the opportunity to see Egyptian antiquities in the last 100 days", said Chu Xiaobo, director of the museum, during a news conference on Friday.

"We expect to receive a large number of visitors during the coming weekends and summer holidays," he said. In order to meet the demand of enthusiastic visitors, the museum will extend its opening hours till 9 pm from July 1 to Aug 17 every day, except for Mondays, when the museum is closed.

For the last seven days of the exhibition, Chu has announced the "crazy 168-hour project".

"We will keep the museum open for 168 consecutive hours, from Aug 10 to 17," he said. "This is an unprecedented practice, and no other museum in the world has done this before."

The museum will mobilize volunteers and social forces to ensure security and smooth operation during this period, he said.

The largest showcase of ancient Egyptian artifacts in Asia features 788 objects selected from seven institutions around Egypt, arousing high attention and interest among audiences from home and abroad.

Since its opening on July 19 last year, the exhibition has received more than 2 million visitors, setting a new record for the highest attendance at a single paid exhibition in museums around the world, according to Li Feng, former deputy director of Shanghai Museum.

More than 70 percent of the visitors were from overseas and other parts of China besides Shanghai; and the exhibition has generated revenue of more than 580 million yuan ($80.5 million). Statistics from the Egyptian ministry of tourism and antiquities also showed that the exhibition in Shanghai has brought a 65 percent increase in the number of Chinese tourists to Egypt.

"It showcases a diverse collection that represents many facets of Egyptian civilization," said Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, during the opening last year. It includes depictions of prominent ancient Egyptian gods such as Osiris, Isis, Horus and Ptah, and features remarkable items from various Egyptian kings across different dynasties, highlighting statues of high-ranking people such as officials and priests, he said.

The Shanghai Museum will also take Egyptian-themed float parades to cultural landmarks and tourism sites across China and join hands with museums and tourism institutions to hold promotional campaigns of the Pharaoh's simulated experiences of traditional Chinese culture.

The museum launched new social media accounts on Saturday for Merneptah, the fourth Pharaoh of Egypt's 19th Dynasty, on the Chinese app Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, and other platforms, posting the Pharaoh's journal each day, and communicating with audiences about culture, history and topics of public interest.

Following the conclusion of the exhibition, the museum will introduce a book about the stories behind this record-breaking exhibition. And a new documentary about that will be premiered.