THE award-winning Bolton Museum Egyptology exhibition — which is making its way across the Far East — will open in China next week.

Quest for Immortality — The Hidden Treasure of Ancient Egypt exhibition will launch at the OCT Creative Exhibition Center in Shenzhen next Friday, marking the start of its mainland tour.

Featuring about 250 objects from Bolton’s 15,000-strong Egyptology collection, the prestigious exhibition has attracted more than a million visitors during its tour of Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung.

Organised and created by United Exhibits Group (UEG ADM) in co-operation with China Media Times, the exhibition, which explores ancient Egyptian life from 6,000 BC to AD 800, began its tour in Taiwan in 2011.

It was also joint winner of the International Award in the Museum and Heritage Awards for Excellence in May last year.

Cllr Christopher Peacock, Bolton Council’s cabinet member for culture, said: “When we were approached to showcase our objects on an international stage, we were naturally thrilled and very honoured. The museum is renowned for its extensive Egyptology collection, but we have been blown away by the interest and intrigue the exhibition has generated.

“It has appeared in every newspaper and on television stations in Taiwan and we are hoping that level of interest will continue now the exhibition has reached the mainland.

“The facilities over there are just amazing and the OCT Creative Exhibition Center is a stunning, futuristic-looking building. I’m sure it will be the perfect backdrop for such an important exhibition.”

Some of the highlights of the exhibition include a full-scale reconstruction of the burial chamber of the tomb of Thutmose III, which has been created by UEG, and a well-preserved elite male mummy from the Bolton collection.

The OCT Creative Exhibition Centre is situated in OCT Harbour in Shenzhen and the exhibition will take over the entire building. The exhibition in this venue is being organised by PLD International PR China.

It is expected the exhibition will run for about three months before re-locating to another venue in China.