Shanghai Museum has thrown open its doors for a continuous 168-hour marathon — bypassing its traditional hours — in celebration of one of the most successful exhibitions in its history: Ancient Egyptian Civilization.
Co-hosted by the Shanghai Museum and Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, the exhibition, which opened on July 19, 2024, has drawn crowds of historic proportions. As of this week, more than 2.6 million visitors have passed through its halls, with final attendance projected to hit 2.7 million before the exhibition closes on August 17, 2025.
The extended opening began at midnight on August 11 and will continue uninterrupted until midnight on August 17 — a full week of round-the-clock access to the museum’s galleries. Typically, the museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The decision to suspend standard operating hours reflects the overwhelming demand for last-minute visits.
All final tickets have now sold out, with reports of some art lovers flying in from cities as far as Beijing to catch a glimpse of the show before it concludes.
The exhibition features 788 rare artifacts, representing a sweeping span of Egyptian history — from the Old Kingdom through the Greco-Roman era. On display are statues of pharaohs, intricately painted sarcophagi, funerary amulets, and fragments of monumental architecture — many of which are being shown in China for the first time.
Museum officials called the collaboration with Egypt a cultural milestone and credited the exhibition’s success to a growing Chinese fascination with ancient civilizations. “We knew this exhibition would draw attention,” one museum spokesperson said, “but the public response has exceeded every expectation. This is more than just a show — it’s a cultural bridge.”
The Shanghai Museum’s bold decision to stay open non-stop has not only underscored the exhibition’s popularity but has also redefined how major institutions may accommodate public demand in the future.
As the final days of the Ancient Egyptian Civilization exhibition unfold, visitors continue to file through the museum’s atriums, many lining up at dawn or staying well past midnight — proof that the allure of Egypt’s ancient grandeur remains timeless.
