The Secrets of Saqqara will be shown as the exhibition's second section.

The first is The Land of the Pharaohs, which provides an overview of ancient Egyptian history, exploring its cosmology, social hierarchy, writing, craftsmanship and burial traditions. The third section is dedicated to Tutankhamun, a pharaoh who died young. The 1922 discovery of his tomb intrigued the whole world.

The exhibits have been carefully curated from artifacts from seven major Egyptian museums, including the Egyptian Museum, Luxor Museum and Suez Museum, along with the latest findings in Saqqara, Chu says.

The exhibition marks the first comprehensive collaboration between an official Chinese museum and the Egyptian government.

"It'll witness a great advancement in the golden era of Sino-Egyptian relations," says Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism official Zhong Xiaomin.

Mohamed Ismail Mohamed Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities under the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, says: "This is one of the largest exhibitions we have sent abroad in the last 20 years.

"China and Egypt have had great relations for several thousands of years, and this exhibition is the result of this long collaboration between Egypt and China," he says.

zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn