SHANGHAI, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai will host a major exhibition on ancient civilizations of the Americas beginning in early July, local authorities said Thursday.

Titled "Ancient Civilizations of the Americas," the exhibition will run for 16 months at the Shanghai Museum on the People's Square, said Zhong Xiaomin, head of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism.

It will be the sixth installment in the museum's "A Dialogue with the World" series of art and cultural relics exhibitions, and another landmark show on global ancient civilizations following its popular exhibition on Ancient Egypt.

According to Zhong, the museum will for the first time dedicate its entire People's Square venue to a single exhibition. The show is expected to be one of the largest and most comprehensive presentations of ancient American civilizations ever staged.

After two years of preparation, more than 1,000 cultural relics from the Americas will be displayed -- many making their debut in China -- offering a systematic overview of the civilizations including the Olmec, Maya, Aztec and Inca.

The exhibition will also feature two programs providing immersive virtual reality experiences.

Public interest in museums and cultural exhibitions continues to grow in Shanghai. In 2025, the city hosted nearly 1,600 exhibitions in museums and art galleries, drawing close to 50 million visits from both domestic and international audiences, Zhong added. ■