[Photo provided to China Daily]

Picturing challenges

But Zhao must wear protective gear, including facemasks and hoods to shield against dust during his six-hour shifts.

"Sometimes, you can't tell the (original) color of the mask after I come out of the pit," he says.

He has to wear heating pads in winter. He sweats in his gear in summer.

And the photographer must ensure he gets good shots while keeping relics intact under sometimes-tough conditions.

"The space between them (the artifacts) can be very small. I have to thread through them, bend and kneel to get a good angle to capture important details," he says.

Zhao continues to sketch after work. But he has gone beyond merely drawing realistic depictions to adapting them into visual stories.

"Anytime I have an idea now, I can't help but associate it with a cultural relic," he says.

He has drawn a sketch or two a day for years and posts them on his Sina Weibo account, which has about 20,000 followers.

"I hope comics can make ancient culture more accessible to modern people," he says.

Many of his comics have received first prizes at provincial and national competitions.

Zhao says he has seen a positive attitude shift toward museums during his two decades in the field.

"In the '90s, it was more like a tourism destination. Now, it's like a city's greeting room for visitors. People go to the museum to know a city on their first visit. They pay more attention to culture and mindset."

This has reinforced his sense of responsibility, he says.

"I'll keep doing what's expected of me, enjoying archaeology and letting more people experience its magic."