Chinese and Egyptian experts are collaborating on a ground-breaking project to study and digitize Egyptian Statues. Initially, the project was kickstarted by a unit at Shanghai University – along with the World Art History Institute (WAI), the Supreme Council of Egyptian Antiquities and the Saqqara Archaeological Group. This marked an important beginning for China and Egypt to continue their cultural traditions, carrying out international cultural co-operation in a new form.
Initiator of the study, Zhu Qingsheng, believes that in the digital age, it is critical to use as many technological instruments as possible to conduct in-depth analyses of cultural treasures. Reports say the Chinese are not new in the field of digitizing artifacts. In September last year, People in Egypt had a chance to view ancient Chinese Grottoes in the capital, Cairo – through a digital tour.
The digital exhibition of the Taiyuan Tianlong Shan Grottoes attracted more than 70 experts and scholars in the field of archaeology and museums from both China and Egypt on the first day. At the exhibition, many visitors were amazed by the digital restoration of the Tian Longshan Buddha statues. Both Egypt and China are ancient civilizations, and the Egyptian-Chinese cultural exchange has become one of the most essential components of their relationship.
The first Egyptian educational and cultural mission arrived in China in 1956, and in the same year, the “Egyptian-Chinese Friendship Association” was established. So far in the 21st century, Egypt and China have implemented many executive plans for bilateral cultural cooperation. This has encompassed art, culture, antiquities, and tourism, with conservation professionals conducting exchange visits. Egyptian antiquities have also been on display in China, as well as a cultural week focusing on Egypt’s history in the World Garden in Beijing.
These events occurred as part of the two sides’ agreement to include Egypt on the list of top tourism sites for Chinese citizens. The recent cooperation in digitizing Egyptian artifacts is proof of a thriving relationship between the two BRICS+ countries. Over 780 precious artifacts from Egypt are set to be displayed at the Shanghai Museum. Earlier in June, a half-kilometre-long convoy delivered nearly 800 Egyptian antiquities from the airport to the Shanghai Museum in a magnificent parade.
The exhibition will feature 492 sets of over 780 precious artifacts from various periods of ancient Egypt. These include statues of pharaohs Tutankhamun, Amenemhat III, and Ramses II, a complete set of mummy coffins, gold jewellery belonging to a queen as well as newly discovered painted wooden coffins, animal mummies, and statues from the Saqqara region. These relics were meticulously picked from seven main Egyptian museums and the most recent finds in the Saqqara region, with more than 95% making their Asian debut.
They will present a thorough display of ancient Egyptian civilizations and the country’s most recent archaeological findings.The exhibition is the first extensive partnership between a Chinese official museum and the Egyptian government. The event will “witness the great advance in the golden era of the Sino-Egyptian relationship,” according to Zhong Xiaomin, an official from the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism. China is a global leader in the Artificial intelligence-driven digitization of ancient relics and artifacts.
In May 2022, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued recommendations for establishing the country’s national cultural digitization strategy. The guidelines said that by 2035, a national cultural data system will be developed to thoroughly exhibit Chinese culture and allow all citizens to access the findings of digital cultural research. In Southwest China, another significant cultural site, officials at the Sanxingdui Ruins announced that efforts are underway to digitize the recent archaeological discoveries.
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