As the clock struck midnight, a queue had already gathered outside the Shanghai History Museum. In a country that prides itself on its distant past, the artefacts waiting inside were almost enough to make China seem young again.
The ancient Egypt exhibition, which first launched over a year ago, has been so popular that ahead of its final weekend the museum was kept open for 168 hours continuously. Tickets were completely sold out.
Museums have a special resonance in China, a country where the government within living memory campaigned against tradition. Exhibitions, now often both run and promoted by local governments, draw vast crowds. Beijing estimates visitor numbers surpassed 60mn on the May Day public holiday alone.
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