你能猜出哪一個展覽吸引了全球最多的觀眾嗎？

目前正在上海博物館展出的《金字塔之巔：古埃及文明》自去年7月開幕以來，參觀人數(shù)已超過200萬，創(chuàng)下了全球單一票務文物展覽的最高觀展紀錄。其中近七成觀眾來自上海以外，多數(shù)專程前來一睹展覽風采。

Can you guess which exhibition has drawn the most visitors worldwide?

On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt, currently on view at the Shanghai Museum, has welcomed over 2 million visitors since opening in July — setting a global record for attendance at a single ticketed antiquities show. Of these, nearly 70 percent came from outside Shanghai, with most traveling specifically to see the exhibition.

上海博物館 ”金字塔之巔：古埃及文明大展” 現(xiàn)場 高爾強拍攝

“這不僅僅是出于好奇，而是一種渴望——渴望了解一個與我們同樣古老、同樣輝煌的文明。”策展人之一薛江如是說。“作為世界上最古老的兩大文明，埃及與中國常被并提——無論是藝術的深邃與成熟，還是它們所體現(xiàn)的精神內(nèi)核與價值理念。”

古埃及藝術所達到的高度，深深觸動了中國觀眾。古埃及藝術充盈著象征性，承載著宗教信仰與哲思追求，中國古代藝術亦有異曲同工之妙。如公元前17世紀至公元前3世紀的商周青銅器，鑄工精妙，紋飾繁復卻不失靈性，體現(xiàn)出禮制體系與思想內(nèi)涵的高度統(tǒng)一。

"It's more than curiosity — it's a longing to understand a civilization as ancient and magnificent as our own," said Xue Jiang, one of the curators. "As two of the world’s oldest civilizations, Egypt and China invite comparison — through the sophistication of their art and the shared values they reflect."

That sophistication resonates with Chinese audiences. Just as Egyptian art brims with symbolism, so too does ancient Chinese art — exemplified by the intricately cast bronze vessels of the Shang and Zhou dynasties between the 17th century and 3rd century BC — steeped in ritual and meaning.

東周青銅重器物秦公镈 寶雞青銅器博物館

“兩個文明皆誕生于大河之畔——尼羅河，以及黃河與長江。正是這些大河孕育了各自的農(nóng)耕文明，塑造了各自的文化，激發(fā)了人與自然之間深刻而持久的聯(lián)結。”薛江說。

孕育了古埃及文明的尼羅河

盡管上古時期的中埃之間從未有過直接往來，卻在精神與藝術的回響中彼此共鳴。

尼羅河在每年夏季泛濫，將上游（尤其是埃塞俄比亞高原）的泥沙帶至下游，泛濫過后的河水在退去時，會在兩岸沉積一層厚厚的黑色淤泥。這層“黑土”富含礦物質和有機養(yǎng)分，極其適合耕作，是埃及得名“黑土地” 的由來。

相較之下，黃河性情多變，其治理更需堅韌與智慧。然而，兩條大河皆孕育出對自然的敬畏，而非單純的征服，并塑造了順應自然節(jié)律、循環(huán)與二元統(tǒng)一的世界觀。

"Both civilizations rose along rivers — the Nile, and the Yellow and Yangtze — which shaped their cultures, fostered agriculture, and inspired profound connections to nature," said Xue. "Despite no contact in antiquity, their spiritual and artistic affinities are striking."

The Nile, with its steady, life-giving floods, contrasts with the volatile Yellow River, the harness of which demanded resilience and ingenuity. Yet both rivers nurtured worldviews in which nature was not merely endured but revered — shaping ideas and beliefs that echoed the rhythm, cycles, and duality of the natural world.

“兩個文明都強調(diào)對立統(tǒng)一——光明與黑暗、秩序與混沌、天與地之間的平衡。”薛江指出。在中國，這一思想集中體現(xiàn)在先秦儒家經(jīng)典《易經(jīng)》中，書中以陰陽之變詮釋萬物生成，展現(xiàn)出一種流動而辯證的世界觀。

在古埃及，對立統(tǒng)一的理念則融于神話之中：混沌之蛇阿佩普（Apep）是太陽神拉（Ra）的宿敵。每當夜幕降臨，拉便駕馭太陽船穿越冥界，而阿佩普則伺機吞噬他頭頂?shù)奶枅A盤，使世界陷入永夜。盡管拉每次都能將其擊退，阿佩普卻從未被徹底消滅。這場每夜上演的對抗，象征著古埃及人對宇宙秩序與混沌之間永恒斗爭的理解——平衡并非靜止，而是在持續(xù)的動態(tài)中維持。這一神話，凝聚著古埃及文明深邃的哲學智慧。

"Both civilizations embraced the notion of duality — light and dark, order and chaos, heaven and earth," said Xue. In China, this balance is captured in the Yijing, or Book of Changes, a Confucian classic dating to the 11th century BC. Rooted in the interplay of yin and yang, it reflects an early Chinese worldview in which existence was not fixed, but a fluid dance of opposites.

In Egypt, it could be glimpsed from the myth of Apep, the serpent of chaos, who battles Ra, the sun god, nightly. Though Apep is vanquished each time, he returns — embodying the eternal struggle to uphold cosmic order.

古埃及神話中，名為阿佩普的巨大蛇怪是太陽神拉（坐船上頭頂代表太陽的圓盤者）的死對頭 開羅埃及博物館

恰逢2025年為中國傳統(tǒng)農(nóng)歷的“蛇年”，這一生肖在古埃及文化中也擁有深遠的象征意義。

在圖坦卡蒙的黃金面具上，昂首的眼鏡蛇代表著下埃及的守護神瓦杰特（Wadjet）。約公元前3100年，在納爾邁（Narmer）統(tǒng)一上下埃及之后，瓦杰特的眼鏡蛇圖案與象征上埃及的女神奈赫貝特（Nekhbet）的禿鷲并列于法老王冠之上，象征國家統(tǒng)一與神圣守護。

圖坦卡蒙金面具，上飾有眼鏡蛇和禿鷲 開羅埃及博物館 法新社Amir Makar拍攝

與之齊名的還有列涅努忒（Renenutet），一位主管食物與收獲的女神，同時也是糧倉的守護者。在古埃及藝術中，她通常被描繪為一條眼鏡蛇，或是一位頭戴眼鏡蛇飾的女性神祇。由于蛇貼地而行，古埃及人將其視為與大地母性密不可分的象征——既代表繁衍生息，也與冥界相連。在王室陵墓中，蛇的形象常見于壁畫與雕刻之中，象征守護法老靈魂前往來世的旅途。

Fittingly, 2025 in the traditional Chinese calendar is the Year of the Snake. In both cultures, serpents carried profound symbolic weight. On King Tutankhamun's golden mask, the cobra represents Wadjet, protector of Lower Egypt. After Egypt's unification around 3100 BC, Wadjet's cobra joined Nekhbet's vulture on the pharaonic crown — symbols of national unity.

Other serpentine deities included Renenutet, goddess of harvest, often shown with a cobra's head, guarding granaries. The snake, close to the earth, symbolized fertility and the underworld — appearing in royal tombs to guide and protect the soul’s journey beyond.

“兩個文明都極為重視統(tǒng)一、精神信仰與死后的世界。” 薛江指出，“古埃及人相信來世的輝煌永恒——墓葬是靈魂的宮殿；木乃伊、護身符與《亡靈書》則共同守護亡者在冥界的平安通行。”

上海博物館“金字塔之巔”現(xiàn)場展示的木乃伊棺槨 高爾強拍攝

古代中國人內(nèi)心深處同樣懷有對永恒不滅的強烈渴望，這份執(zhí)念深深扎根于他們的文化與信仰之中。在長江下游地區(qū)，良渚文化（約公元前3300年至公元前2300年）的遺存生動展現(xiàn)了這一渴望的物質體現(xiàn)。考古學家在良渚墓葬中發(fā)現(xiàn)了大量精美絕倫的玉器，如玉琮、玉璧和玉鉞等，這些器物被視為具有防腐保身、助力靈魂通往永恒的神秘力量。

到了西漢時期，雕工細膩、氣韻非凡的玉龍和玉馬同樣作為陪葬品出現(xiàn)，承擔起引魂升天的神圣職責。

"Both cultures placed deep emphasis on unity, spirituality, and the afterlife," Xue noted. "Egyptians imagined a glorious hereafter — tombs as palaces for the soul, with mummies, amulets, and the Book of the Dead ensuring safe passage through the underworld."

The ancient Chinese shared this longing for permanence. Jade artifacts from the Liangzhu culture (3300–2300 BC), found in tombs along the Yangtze River Delta, were believed to preserve the body for immortality. Later, jade dragons and horses took on a sacred role: to carry the soul to heaven while protecting the body until their reunion.

漢代墓葬出土的玉龍 南京博物院

一些學者認為，龍——中國文明最具代表性的圖騰——可能起源于蛇、鱷魚，或兩者兼具，因為鱷魚曾廣泛分布于黃河流域。

在埃及，動物常被視為神靈，尼羅河谷的河馬因其兇猛被認為能夠抵御邪惡，甚至被奉為女神；母狒狒則常象征母性。圣甲蟲在古埃及文化中象征永生，這主要源于其獨特的生活習性及古埃及人的宇宙觀。圣甲蟲，尤其是蜣螂科，滾動糞球并將其埋入地下作為幼蟲的食物，這一行為象征“從廢物中誕生新生”，寓意生命的循環(huán)與重生。古埃及人將圣甲蟲視為太陽神拉（Ra）的化身，認為它滾動糞球如同太陽在天空運行，象征光明戰(zhàn)勝黑暗，生命永續(xù)。正因如此，圣甲蟲形狀的護身符廣泛用于墓葬，作為保護亡靈順利轉世的神圣符號。

Some Chinese scholars believe the dragon — Chinese civilization's ultimate totem — may trace its origins to snakes, crocodiles, or both, with crocodiles once common in the Yellow River Basin.

In Egypt, animals were often seen as divine. Hippos symbolized fierce protection; female baboons, maternity; and the scarab beetle — rolling dung across the earth — came to represent rebirth, echoing the sun's daily resurrection.

古埃及的動物形象——尼羅河和河馬和作為容器的水鳥

古埃及玻璃圣甲蟲 陳中秋供圖

古埃及藝術的優(yōu)雅與寫實在動物形象的描繪中達到巔峰——藝術在此處最直接地擁抱著生命。象牙制的馬鞭柄呈現(xiàn)出奔跑中的馬形；化妝盒仿照野鴨的造型；獅形石質滴水嘴既是裝飾，也是建筑的守護神。動物和人物均以最易識別的角度描繪——頭部、腿部和腳部為側面；眼睛和肩膀為正面——創(chuàng)造出一幅理想化且永恒的復合形象。流暢簡練的線條構成了這套精致的視覺語言，賦予古埃及藝術一種超越時代、近乎現(xiàn)代的審美感受。

古埃及浮雕壁畫——人物頭為側面，肩膀為正面

“盡管風格迥異，中國與埃及兩大文明的藝術成就卻相互映襯。”薛江說道。

The elegance and realism of ancient Egyptian art reached their height in the depiction of animals — where art most vividly embraced life. A whip handle carved from ivory takes the form of a galloping horse; a cosmetic box mimics the shape of a wild duck; a stone gargoyle, sculpted as a lion, served as both ornament and protector in architecture. Animal and human figures were depicted with each feature shown from its most recognizable angle — heads, legs, and feet in profile; eyes and shoulders frontally — creating a composite image that conveyed an idealized, eternal form. This refined visual language, expressed through dynamic, economical lines, lends ancient Egyptian art a timeless, almost modern, sensibility.

"Though stylistically distinct, the artistic achievements of Chinese and Egyptian civilizations reflect and illuminate each other," said Xue, who also noted that both placed great importance on the acquisition of knowledge and the development of writing.

他指出，這兩個古老文明都高度重視知識的積累與文字的發(fā)展。“兩者都崇尚知識，并創(chuàng)造了早期的象形與表意文字系統(tǒng)。”

據(jù)認為，法國語言學家尚-弗朗索瓦·商博良（Jean-Fran?ois Champollion，1790–1832）在破解埃及象形文字時，曾從被稱為“漢字六書”的漢字的造字法中獲得啟發(fā)，尤其是其中的象形字與表意字的構成。

"Both cultures prized learning and employed early pictographic and logographic writing systems."

It is believed that French philologist and orientalist Jean-Fran?ois Champollion (1790–1832), while deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs, was partly inspired by the principles underlying Chinese character formation, including pictographs and ideograms.

盡管紙張的真正發(fā)明普遍歸功于生活在中國東漢時期的蔡倫（約公元50年—121年），但早在公元前3000年的埃及早王朝時期，古埃及人便已開始制造莎草紙。

中國古代的造紙工藝以植物纖維（如桑樹皮）為原料，經(jīng)過浸泡、捶打成漿，再薄鋪于竹簾上晾干成紙。而在古代埃及制作莎草紙時，人們先采集尼羅河流域的莎草植物，取其粗壯的莖部，縱向剖開后切成細長的薄片。然后將這些薄片橫縱交錯地排列成兩層，利用植物自身的汁液進行自然粘合。接著，用重物壓實，使其融合成一整張紙。最后將其晾干，并用石頭或貝殼將表面打磨光滑，制成可以書寫的紙張。

埃及草紙畫

文字與書寫材料的發(fā)明，為兩大文明記錄歷史奠定了基礎。無論是刻在石碑上的象形文字、書寫于莎草紙卷軸之上的文稿，還是銘刻在甲骨上的卜辭，皆體現(xiàn)出埃及與中國對記憶的珍視與對文明延續(xù)的不懈追求。

While paper-making is widely — and rightly — credited to China in the early 2nd century, the ancient Egyptians were producing papyrus as early as 3000 BC during the Early Dynastic Period. Ancient Chinese paper-making involved soaking plant fibers like mulberry bark, beating them into pulp, and spreading them thinly on a bamboo screen to dry into paper. In contrast, Egyptian papyrus was made by slicing the plant's pith into strips, layering them crosswise, pressing to bond, drying, and polishing into smooth writing sheets.

These innovations laid the foundation for historical record-keeping, which flourished in both civilizations. Ancient Egypt and China meticulously documented events, rituals, and daily life — through hieroglyphs on stone and papyrus scrolls, or oracle bone inscriptions — reflecting a mutual commitment to the preserving of memory and the continuity of civilization.

古埃及社會以法老為權力核心，由祭司、文士與工匠構成上層結構，農(nóng)民與奴隸則處于社會底層。然而，在這套嚴密的等級體系中，女性并非完全被排除于權力之外。哈特謝普蘇特（Hatshepsut）便是其中最杰出的例證——她是埃及歷史上第一位以“國王”身份正式登基的女性法老，自公元前1479年至公元前1458年間獨立執(zhí)政。她修建了雄偉的代爾·巴哈里神廟，大力發(fā)展貿(mào)易，重啟通往非洲邦國“蓬特”的遠洋貿(mào)易航線，并維持國內(nèi)穩(wěn)定，被后世譽為最成功的女性統(tǒng)治者之一。

哈特謝普蘇特像 圖源：Getty Images

在中國古代，與哈特謝普蘇特相對應的女性人物或可視為商朝晚期的婦好。她生活于公元前13世紀，是商王武丁的王后。甲骨文記載顯示，婦好曾多次率軍出征，屢建戰(zhàn)功，是已知中國歷史上最早的女性將領之一。她還主持重要的宗教祭祀，掌管國家禮儀，并在國家政務中發(fā)揮關鍵作用。她的墓葬于1976年在河南安陽被發(fā)現(xiàn)，隨葬品極為豐富，其中包括大量玉器，顯示她在生前地位之崇高。

中國國家博物館藏殷墟婦好墓出土商代玉人

“這些開創(chuàng)性的女性讓我們得以窺見兩大文明的風采——既有驚人的共通之處，也展現(xiàn)出引人入勝的差異。”薛江說道。

Ancient Egyptian society was anchored by the pharaoh and upheld by priests, scribes, and artisans, while peasants and slaves labored below. Yet within this rigid hierarchy, women could rise to power. Among them was Hatshepsut, the first female pharaoh to rule Egypt as a king, between 1479 and 1458 BC in her own right. Her counterpart in ancient China might be Fu Hao, a remarkable queen of the late Shang dynasty who lived in the 13th century BC, and served as a military general, high priestess, and political leader — an extraordinary fusion of roles rarely held by women in antiquity.

"These trailblazing women offer tantalizing glimpses into two civilizations — rich in striking parallels and intriguing contrasts," said Xue, who believes that ongoing collaborations between Chinese and Egyptian archaeologists are deepening cultural ties.

今天，中埃考古學家的持續(xù)合作，正不斷深化兩國的文化紐帶。自2018年起，中埃聯(lián)合考古隊持續(xù)在埃及南部盧克索的卡爾納克神廟群中，對孟圖神廟展開發(fā)掘。2023年，上海外國語大學與埃及最高文物委員會牽頭組建了中埃聯(lián)合考古項目組，對開羅以南薩卡拉地區(qū)貓神巴斯泰特神廟遺址出土的約1000具木棺及相關文物進行整理、數(shù)字化掃描、影像采集與深入研究，并借助人工智能和數(shù)據(jù)庫技術開展長期追蹤研究與保護，最終將以阿拉伯文、中文、英文三種文字向全球發(fā)布研究成果。上海外國語大學埃及歷史與藝術研究專家薛江博士，擔任該項目中方負責人。

中埃聯(lián)合考古現(xiàn)場，右為薛江

此外，兩國還聯(lián)合提名中國白鶴梁題刻與埃及羅達島尼羅米特遺址為聯(lián)合國教科文組織世界遺產(chǎn)。白鶴梁位于重慶奉節(jié)，是一塊巨大的水下花崗巖石梁，以密布其上的水文題刻聞名，記錄了自唐代以來的水位、洪澇與干旱信息，被譽為“中國古代水文年表”。而尼羅米特則坐落于開羅市中心羅達島南端，是古埃及及中世紀用于監(jiān)測尼羅河水位的重要設施，曾直接關系到農(nóng)業(yè)稅賦與灌溉計劃。這兩處水文遺址不僅體現(xiàn)了古代中埃文明對水資源管理的高度智慧，也為全球理解人類文明與自然關系提供了寶貴線索。

Since 2018, a joint archaeological mission has been underway at the Montu Temple in Luxor's Karnak Complex, in southern Egypt. In 2023, a major initiative led by Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) and Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities began digitally scanning, photographing, and researching around 1,000 wooden coffins unearthed in Saqqara, south of Cairo, using AI and database technologies for long-term study. Xue, a professor of Egyptian history and art at SISU, leads the Chinese team on the Saqqara project.

The two nations are also co-nominating the Baiheliang Inscriptions in China and the Nilometer on Egypt's Roda Island for UNESCO World Heritage status — two ancient hydrological sites that reflect the civilizations' shared emphasis on water management.

如今，一份古埃及—赫梯和平條約的復制品常年陳列于紐約聯(lián)合國總部。這份條約約締結于公元前1259年，被稱為《卡迭石條約》，由埃及法老拉美西斯二世與赫梯國王哈圖西里三世簽署，被廣泛認為是人類歷史上最早的現(xiàn)存國際和平協(xié)議。

《卡迭石條約》——人類歷史上最早的現(xiàn)存國際和平協(xié)議 薛江供圖

“聯(lián)合國展出的這份復制品，是外交智慧與人類對和平不懈追求的象征。古埃及與中國都高度珍視和平。”薛江說。

“古埃及和中國給予我們的永恒啟示是：文明不僅由石頭與青銅鑄就，更由遠見卓識構筑。”他補充道，“兩大文明都以獨特方式探索生與死、權力與正義、自然與神性的關系，映照出人類最早的精神追求。正如滋養(yǎng)它們的河流依舊奔騰，它們孕育的思想也將持續(xù)流傳，生生不息。”

Today, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, a replica of the ancient Egyptian–Hittite peace treaty — often referred to as the Treaty of Kadesh — is prominently on display. This treaty, concluded around 1259 BC between Pharaoh Ramesses II of Egypt and King Hattusili III of the Hittite Empire, is recognized as the earliest known surviving international peace agreement.

"The replica at the UN serves as a powerful symbol of diplomacy and the enduring human pursuit of peace, which both ancient Egypt and China treasured dearly," said Xue.

"One timeless lesson from ancient Egypt and China is that civilization is not built merely of stone or bronze, but of vision," he continued. "Each sought, in its own way, to understand life and death, power and justice, nature and the divine. They stand as reflections of humanity's earliest dreams. And just as the rivers that once nourished them still flow, so too do the ideas they gave rise to."

上博埃及展展覽現(xiàn)場 高爾強拍攝

記者：趙旭

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