Museum’s ‘Golden Mummies’ collection arrives in China

19 Aug 2021

‘Golden Mummies of Egypt’, Manchester Museum’s first ever international touring exhibition, has arrived in Beijing for the final leg of its journey

The exhibition will be housed in the Beijing World Art Museum at the Chinese Millennium Monument from August to December 2021, before moving to two more venues in China.

It has been developed and produced in partnership with Nomad Exhibitions and features more than 100 objects and eight mummies from Manchester Museum’s extraordinary Egyptology collection. The Golden Mummies book that accompanies the collection has been translated into Mandarin.

‘Golden Mummies of Egypt’ first landed in Buffalo, USA, in early 2020 before moving to North Carolina where it was received with great acclaim. Its arrival in China marks the final leg of the international tour before the exhibition returns to Manchester Museum, part of The University of Manchester, in late 2022.  It will take centre stage in a stunning new 420m2 Exhibition Hall.

The Exhibition Hall is part of the museum’s hello future project, a £13.5million transformation that aims to build better understanding between cultures and a more sustainable world.

Esme Ward, Director of Manchester Museum, said: “Following huge success in the USA, we are so excited that Golden Mummies of Egypt will now move to China to excite and engage audiences there. When the exhibition returns to Manchester next year it will be one of the centre pieces of our hello future capital transformation.

"As well as a new Exhibition Hall, hello future will also feature the Lee Kai Hung Chinese Culture Gallery, and so the arrival of Golden Mummies in Beijing is a wonderful opportunity to make new connections and build future collaborations.”

Dr Campbell Price, Curator of Egypt and Sudan at Manchester Museum, said: “Golden Mummies of Egypt is a visually spectacular display that explores beliefs about the afterlife during an era when Egypt was part of the Greek and Roman worlds. New research challenges what people have come to expect from a show about ‘Ancient Egypt’.

"I’m thrilled that we are bringing this fascinating exhibition to international audiences for the first time.”

• A sumptuously illustrated new book, ‘Golden Mummies of Egypt’, by Dr Campbell Price is available to buy online.