CAIRO, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On September 17, local time, the “Dialogue Between Solar Civilizations—Chengdu Panda Week Series” kicked off at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, Egypt. The event featured a thematic exhibition on the ancient Shu civilization and a culture and tourism promotion conference for Chengdu, drawing tourists from multiple countries as well as local residents to visit and take photos. The year 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt. With civilization serving as a bond, this event has added a vivid Chengdu footnote to the millennia-old friendly exchanges between the two nations.
More than one hundred guests from institutions including the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, the Egyptian State Ministry of Information, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, and Cairo University attended the event, witnessing the announcement of multiple cooperative achievements. The event focused on the shared core of the two great civilizations: the ancestors of ancient Shu revered the sun, embedding their understanding of the universe into the Gold Ornament of the Sun and Immortal Bird; ancient Egyptians worshipped the sun god Ra and pursued the light. Despite being thousands of miles apart, these two ancient civilizations share highly resonant spiritual aspirations.
Themed “Dawn, Power, and Eternity,” the exhibition highlighted 1:1 replicas and 3D-printed models of 16 representative artifacts carefully selected from the Jinsha and Sanxingdui ruins. These include monumental relics such as the Gold Ornament of the Sun and Immortal Bird, the Large Gold Mask, the Bronze Standing Figure, and the Sanxingdui Gold Scepter. The Golden Panda Awards cultural space established on-site attracted significant attention, utilizing an audio-visual platform to continually foster exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.
Held concurrently, the culture and tourism promotion conference titled “Chengdu, More Than Just Giant Pandas” attracted nearly one hundred Egyptian representatives from various sectors.
In his address, Zhu Xiaozhong, Minister Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, stated that since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Egypt 70 years ago, the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations has continued to deepen. The embassy will persistently build bridges of communication, promote the normalization of cultural exchanges and personnel visits between both sides, and consolidate the foundation of mutual affinity between the two peoples. At the event, Sichuan Yuanhai International Travel Agency signed an agreement with a local Egyptian travel agency, reaching a consensus on a new round of cooperation for culture and tourism.
This year marks the eighth anniversary of the launch of the direct flight between Chengdu and Cairo. On the eve of the event, Sichuan Airlines launched an in-flight cultural interaction utilizing its direct flights, promoting Chengdu to domestic and international passengers through formats such as bilingual city magazines and fun quizzes. A special feature in the September issue of HELLO Chengdu systematically outlined the three-millennium-long civilizational origins between Chengdu and Cairo, as well as the achievements of their contemporary cooperation in multiple fields.
Mohamed Shoman, Advisor on Public Communication and Training Affairs to the Egyptian State Minister of Information, stated that this event represents a beautiful encounter and an in-depth dialogue between two major civilizations. He expressed his expectation for friends from all countries to jointly fulfill the “solar appointment” of ancient Shu, and to experience the unique charm of the integration and coexistence of different civilizations.
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