Chinese travelers find a portal to ancient Egypt

Stepping into the magnificent main hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, visitors are instantly impressed by the colossal statues from an ancient world, including the gigantic monolith of King Ramesses II, dating back more than 3,200 years.

The making of these towering figures is among the most distinctive phenomena in ancient Egypt, and it reflects how ordinary people revered and deified their rulers.

If the museum’s main hall is mesmerizing, its Tutankhamun collection is overwhelming. The galleries dedicated to ancient Egypt’s famous boy king, who ascended the throne at age 9, display more than 5,000 artifacts unearthed from his tomb.

The discovery of Tutankhamun’s largely intact 14th century BC tomb in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter and his team is considered one of the most significant archaeological findings in the modern era. Tourists from across the globe, including China, visit the museum for a glimpse of Tutankhamun’s gold burial mask, which features elaborate carvings and precious stone inlay.

“My very first impression of the museum was how fresh and modern everything feels, from the facilities to the overall design,” said Mi Jie, an office worker from Beijing who traveled to Egypt with her family earlier this year.

“The massive collection of Tutankhamun-related artifacts, including clothes, jewelry, a gold throne and war chariots, traces his life from birth to death. From these exhibits, we also get an idea of the daily life in ancient Egypt,” said Mi, who also visited the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx and the Valley of the Kings.

“The locals are incredibly hospitable, and they greeted us spontaneously. When one of my family members lost a pair of glasses, the ticketing officer alerted the museum staff to help search for them,” she added.

Surging enthusiasm

The Grand Egyptian Museum, which fully opened to the public in November, houses more than 57,000 artifacts and is said to be the world’s largest museum dedicated to a single civilization. It has become one of the most talked-about cultural destinations among Chinese tourists such as Mi.

Hussein Bassir, former general supervisor of the museum, described the sprawling facility as “a major cultural gateway to Egypt’s ancient civilization”.

“The relationship between Egypt and China has the potential to create a lasting bridge between two great ancient civilizations, connecting their shared historical legacy with future opportunities for dialogue and cooperation,” he said.

Bassir added that he expects the Egyptian museum to become an increasingly important destination for Chinese visitors as people-to-people exchanges between the two nations continue to grow.

The surging enthusiasm among Chinese people regarding ancient Egypt can be gauged from the attendance at a relevant exhibition in Shanghai. The exhibition, titled On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt, which was held at the Shanghai Museum from July 2024 to August 2025, recorded over 2.77 million visitors.

“This shows that Chinese audiences, especially young people, have deep curiosity about and an emotional connection with ancient Egyptian civilization,” said Ahmed Youssef, CEO of the Egyptian Tourism Authority.

As Chinese citizens traveling to Egypt have become eligible for both electronic visas and visas on arrival, the African nation welcomed around 360,000 Chinese tourists in 2025.

Starting on Aug 1, Cairo International Airport in the Egyptian capital also launched a digital Visa-on-Arrival system, which will gradually replace paper visas with dedicated QR codes.

Youssef noted that China has re-emerged as one of Egypt’s fastest-growing and long-haul tourist source markets in Asia, supported by enhanced direct-flight connectivity between Cairo and major Chinese cities.

“We are seeing a cultural and leisure travel trend that blends Egyptian heritage with Red Sea wellness experience, as well as growing demand for experience-oriented products such as curated museum visits and photogenic travel itineraries,” he said.

In order to cater to this growing demand, Egypt is ramping up Chinese-language support by introducing licensed Chinese-speaking guides and putting up signage and information boards at major attractions in Chinese, Youssef said.

The tourism authority is also working with hotels, cruise operators and attractions to boost payment convenience for Chinese travelers, while upgrading dining options and service readiness.

Cong Sen, an analyst at Shanghai-based multinational travel agency Trip.com Group’s research institute, said that Chinese visitors to the museum in Giza seek professional Chinese-language guided tours to better understand the exhibits and their history. They also expect well-planned itineraries for in-depth civilizational experiences in optimum time, he said.

Bookings for Egypt by Chinese travelers have steadily increased on the platform over the past two years, with flexible itineraries combined with comprehensive guided tours and in-depth experience being the primary growth driver for small group tours, Cong added.

Mutual learning

As this year marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt, both sides have organized a series of events to deepen mutual understanding between their cultures and advance people-to-people exchanges.

In recent years, the two countries have strengthened their archaeological cooperation, with joint excavation missions at the Karnak Temple Complex in Luxor and the Sekhmet Temple site in the ancient city of Memphis, which have led to significant discoveries.

Bassir, the former general supervisor of the Egyptian museum, said he believes that the facility provides an important platform for expanding cultural and archaeological cooperation between Egypt and China. He pointed out that there is considerable potential for joint archaeological research, academic exchanges, exhibitions, conservation projects and digital heritage initiatives.

Bassir said he expects the Egypt-China relations in this field to develop beyond tourism and evolve into a broader cultural partnership based on archaeology, knowledge exchange, heritage protection, and dialogue between the two countries.

While working with his counterparts in Sino-Egyptian cooperation programs, Beijing-based archaeologist Gao Wei said he found that the people of Egypt are very expressive and warmhearted.

“We noticeably share pride in our respective ancient civilizations. This sense of pride motivates our collaborative work in scientific archaeological excavation,” Gao said.

He recalled that, during the installation of the pre-opening exhibit work at the Egyptian museum, local conservators and restoration specialists took on a large part of the workload, striving to present artifacts in optimal condition. This level of precision reflects both their expertise and passion, he said.

“Professional-level archaeological exchanges have led to more public lectures and special exhibitions on ancient Egypt in China, bringing another ancient civilization closer to Chinese audiences and widening their horizons,” Gao added.

Wang Huan, deputy director of Shanghai International Studies University’s Institute for the Global History of Civilizations, said that mutual learning between the Chinese and Egyptian civilizations has gradually evolved into long-term operational mechanisms.

“Governments lay out cooperation frameworks, archaeological bodies and universities conduct joint historical studies, and museums deliver heritage conservation and public outreach, while tourism, education and social engagement bring the general public into the process,” he said.

Wang said he believes that tourism can serve as a vital channel for mutual learning between civilizations. He added that the key lies in high-quality exhibits, guided tours and clear interpretations, and knowledge dissemination, so that a simple visit can provide insight into the history and culture of another society.

Sara El Ashrafy in Cairo contributed to this story.