Museum opens doors for 168 hours to catch last glimpse of ancient Egypt

The Shanghai Museum's gate will be open for 168 hours straight from Aug 11 to 17 during the final week of its largest exhibition, On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt, it announced on Tuesday.

Hailed as the largest exhibition of ancient Egyptian artifacts ever held outside their native country, On Top of the Pyramid represents a pioneering collaboration between an official Chinese museum and the Egyptian government. Nearly 95 percent of the 780 artifacts on display are making their debut appearance in Asia. After opening on July 19, 2024, its 13-month run at the Shanghai Museum on People's Square will soon come to an end.

The exhibition has set one of the highest attendance records worldwide for a single-ticket museum exhibition of cultural relics. As of Monday, it received nearly 2.6 million visitors, and it is expected that the total number of visitors will exceed 2.7 million by the time it closes. Nearly 70 percent of the attendees have come from outside Shanghai, according to Chu Xiaobo, director of the Shanghai Museum.

Thanks to the exhibition, the museum achieved revenue of more than 400 million yuan ($55.74 million) from 449 cultural activities and derivative product sales. According to the museum, the exhibition has increased comprehensive consumption by over 20 billion yuan in Shanghai.

As the exhibition comes to a close, the museum has found that many people have difficulty booking a reservation to visit. "We decided to keep the exhibition open for 168 hours nonstop to allow as many people as possible a final opportunity to see the Egyptian artifacts," Chu says.

On Aug 11 and 17, two grand carnival events will take place, with interactive games, live Egyptian drum performances, Egyptian-themed cosplay parades, acrobatics, and magic shows.

Participants will be able to enter lucky draws to win round-trip tickets from Shanghai to Cairo and an eight-day all-inclusive travel experience in Egypt.

Most of the museum merchandise featuring Egyptian culture will be sold at half price during the final week.

Marketplace events will be held each day from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm in the public square in front of the Shanghai Museum's south gate, featuring renowned Shanghai brands that will showcase 200 types of snacks and other products.

The museum has introduced half-price tickets for late-night visitors during the final week. A total of 3,000 tickets priced at 74 yuan will be available each night. Visitors can enter the museum anytime from midnight to 6 am with a purchased ticket and stay for unlimited hours, according to Huang He, deputy director of the museum.

On Aug 11, the Shanghai Museum will launch a new book, Pyramids in China: Behind the Scenes of the Ancient Egyptian Civilization Exhibition. Compiled by the Shanghai Museum and published by Yilin Press, the book will reveal the challenges that were faced behind the phenomenal exhibition. The book will debut at the Shanghai Book Fair on Aug 13, and an electronic edition will also be launched.

"We have arranged the shift schedules for our staff and recruited volunteers to make sure no one will be overworked," Chu says. The museum will also arrange medical staff on duty throughout the 168 hours. "We will do everything we can to ensure the safety of our visitors and staff," he says.