The documentary Treasures and Masks is jointly produced by China Media Group and Egyptian Television Network. Through cross-time-and-space imagination, it stages a dialogue between the gold-masked bronze figure of China’s Sanxingdui Ruins and Tutankhamun’s gold-masked image, and delves into the mutual understanding and learning between China and Egypt—two great ancient civilizations. As an important country along the Belt and Road, Egypt has long been a civilization hub connecting Asia, Africa and Europe. Under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, the documentary narrates the story of humanity’s shared aspirations, creations, and beliefs as embodied by the two great civilizations, which align with the essence of “mutual learning among civilizations and common development.” Focusing on the “similarities, resemblances and connections” between ancient Egyptian culture and China’s Sanxingdui culture, the documentary aims to enhance the popularity of Sanxingdui culture globally and facilitate cultural exchanges among countries along the Belt and Road. The documentary consists of four episodes: The Sun and the River, Faces of Civilization, Trees of Civilization and Incredible Imagination. The Sun and the River explores the impact of the Yangtze River and the Nile River on the two great civilizations; Faces of Civilization tells the stories behind the masks of Sanxingdui Ruins and ancient Egypt; Trees of Civilization shares the understanding of life and the universe by ancient people; Incredible Imagination offers enlightenment of ancient civilizations to modern society and the future. The documentary was broadcast simultaneously on mainstream media in China and Egypt in October 2023, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. It has built a bridge for mutual understanding and cultural recognition between the two peoples, contributed to cultural exchanges and cooperation among countries along the Belt and Road, and promoted global cultural exchanges and common development.

Treasures and Masks ingeniously leverages the two major cultural symbols of ancient Egypt and Sanxingdui Ruins, successfully forging a two-way communication model of “overseas streaming + domestic catalyzing.” This model has facilitated the international dissemination and exchange of Chinese civilization within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. The program has achieved over 110 million global views, with 70 million unique user visits, 220,000 interactions, and 30 million video views. It has been covered by 35 international media outlets, including International Daily News (USA), Europe Times (France), and Journal Puxin (Portugal). The documentary held its overseas premiere in Egypt, and was broadcast on multiple programs of Egyptian Television Network, quickly emerging as a local hot topic. Furthermore, EgyptAir has partnered with CGTN to air the documentary on its international flights, further enhancing cultural interactions and exchanges between China and Egypt under the Belt and Road framework. As a cultural exchange project under the Belt and Road Initiative, the documentary won the First Prize in the Film, Television and Documentary Category at the 24th Arab Radio and Television Festival hosted by the Arab States Broadcasting Union, and was shortlisted for the Documentary category under Historical & Cultural at the 2024 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards.