Two major artifacts from a collection of 788 ancient Egyptian treasures were unveiled in the Shanghai Museum on Monday, offering a glimpse into the soon-to-open exhibition in July.
Arriving in Shanghai on Sunday, this collection of artifacts will be on display at the exhibition themed "On Top of the Pyramids: The Civilization Exhibition of Ancient Egypt," which will run from July 19 to Aug 17 at the Shanghai Museum.
Of the two artifacts, the statue of Akhenaten (1353-1336 BC) -- a pharaoh of 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom of Egypt -- with its original height at 4 meters, will be exhibited in a bust. The other one is a colored mummy coffin with inscriptions from the middle part till the base, which was unearthed at the Saqqara necropolis in recent years.
As part of the necropolis of the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis, 24 km southwest of Cairo, the Saqqara necropolis contains the oldest stone building complex in history, as well as Egypt's oldest pyramid, among other treasures.
To better protect these ancient treasures, the organizers from China and Egypt decided to use a chartered cargo plane to transport these artifacts to Shanghai.
Chu Xiaobo, director of Shanghai Museum, said that these 788 pieces of artifacts cover a range of different times in ancient Egypt and more than 95 percent of the collection will make their debut in Asia.
"This concentrated exhibition curated outside Egypt, including the latest archaeological findings in the Saqqara region, has been unprecedented even in Egypt in terms of the scale. So, I believe many visitors coming to this exhibition will have a general understanding of the history of ancient Egyptian civilization," Chu said.
Two ancient Egyptian artifacts unpacked in Shanghai for upcoming exhibition
Two ancient Egyptian artifacts unpacked in Shanghai for upcoming exhibition
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
