CHANGSHA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Mummies, stone pillars and hieroglyphs were among the items displayed at an exhibition that began Friday in central China's Hunan Province.

The "Pharaohs, Gods and Mummies-Ancient Egyptian Finds" exhibition is jointly organized by Hunan Museum and the Museo Egizio of Italy. More than 230 items from the Italian museum were selected for the show.

The relics, ranging from mummies of animals and human beings, to makeup tools, are part of efforts to shed light on the unique lives, religious beliefs, funeral culture and artistic achievements of ancient Egypt.

"The exhibition will give our Chinese friends a basic understanding of ancient Eyptian civilization," said Paolo Marini, with Museo Egizio.

The exhibition will last until Nov. 5.

Italy's Museo Egizio was established in 1824, and houses more than 30,000 ancient Egyptian items that span more than 4,000 years of history. It is the world's biggest collection of Egyptian relics outside Egypt.