Racing to capture ancient sites

Family support

Rong said he is grateful for his family's understanding and support. At this stage, he does not have to worry too much about earning money. He can focus on finding more historical sites and taking more photographs.

His mother Zhong, 73, has become not only one of his fans but also one of his travel companions.

On his recent trip to eastern Inner Mongolia and Northeast China, she accompanied him throughout the journey and enlisted two friends to join them for different legs of the trip. "My mother has many birding friends," Rong said. "She and her friends are very experienced in the field. Her friends can help me drive."

The group started in Beijing and traveled through eastern Inner Mongolia to Hulunbuir, then into the northernmost part of Heilongjiang province. They continued through Jilin and Liaoning provinces, returned to Inner Mongolia and finally headed home to Beijing.

The route covered more than 12,000 kilometers. They looked for historical sites from the Liao (916-1125), Jin (1115-1234) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties, sites associated with Hongshan culture, prehistoric rock paintings and historical remains left by Russians and Japanese, including some relics from World War II. On average, they visited five or six sites a day; on their busiest days, they visited 10 to 13.

Zhong published a travelogue on her WeChat public account, introducing unusual sites they had visited. These included the site of the Bayanhan Japanese toxic gas experiment field, anti-tank obstacles built on the grassland in the 1960s and '70s and the dilapidated Oroqen Altar of Divine Spring deep in the forests of the Lesser Hinggan Mountains.

While Rong photographed the sites, Zhong and her birding friends watched birds. The arrangement allowed them to pursue their interests while sharing the journey.

"No matter who comes along, I plan the itinerary," Rong said.

Whenever he is permitted to fly a drone, he uses it. Aerial photography, he said, shows a site's surroundings clearly and captures more context.

"For immovable cultural relics, their geographical location and relationship with the surrounding environment are very important, so aerial photography is the best way to present them," he said.