[Photo provided to China Daily]

Archaeological focus

His career as a photographer there has given him close-quarters access to many artifacts.

"I have to photograph relics to capture their details," he says.

Otherwise, sometimes, viewers can't see such information as small inscriptions on such artifacts as Terracotta Warriors from a distance.

So, he tries to pack as much info as possible in his images.

"It has to be done discerningly to convey accurate information," Zhao says.

He usually works with archaeological teams and records everything as they conduct excavations at the tomb.

"It's like sifting through a hoard of treasure and not knowing what you'll unbury next," he says.

Zhao has also read historical documents since he started at the museum to develop a deeper understanding of archaeology.

"I can access firsthand information about those artifacts," he says.

"People around me can answer any questions vividly."

This has helped his photography, he says.

As Zhao has learned more about archaeology, he has been taking greater joy in speculating with colleagues what discoveries will be next.

"We often guess when the first piece of a buried item becomes visible and then see if we're right when it's excavated," he says.

"It's exciting, which makes it the best job in the world for me."