Perseus with the Head of Medusa at NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Art. [PHOTO BY HUANG YI/FOR CHINA DAILY]

He estimates that he has photographed around 100,000 items during the past seven years, not only those on display at museums with household names, but also those distinctive, yet lesser-known ones, such as Qingzhou Museum in Shandong province, which stands out for its collection of Buddha figures and is China's only top-level museum housed in a county.

His followers include museum professionals, as well as amateurs, and some of his works have been reposted and used by social media accounts run by domestic museums.