The exhibition consists of three chapters. Yan Haiying, a professor of history from Peking University, who is the chief curator of the exhibition, suggests visitors begin their tour from the first chapter, The Land of the Pharaohs, which presents an overview of ancient Egyptian civilization. Beginning with the creation myths, it explores cosmology, social hierarchy, writing, craftsmanship and burial traditions.

Among the statues, treasures and papyrus, visitors will find ink rubbings on Chinese rice paper of the Egyptian memorial plaques. They were made by Duan Fang (1861-1911), a Chinese official and epigraphy connoisseur. While passing through Egypt during a diplomatic mission to Europe, he stopped in Cairo where he bought a dozen plaques with inscriptions.

Duan was so fascinated with the mysterious Egyptian writing that he had some plaques reproduced with cement and rubbings made on Chinese paper, which he gave to friends. He "started a wide curiosity for Egypt among intellectuals in the early 1900s", Yan says.