He moved to New York in 1987, where he studied photography and became a commercial photographer.

Zhao, who now lives in Beijing, has built a career capturing the smiling and beautiful faces of ordinary Chinese living in the mountains, on the streets and even in temples.

A few years ago, his vision of China formed the basis for what became the China Story exhibition, a series of striking photographic portraits that aimed to tell the rich and fascinating stories of China through its ordinary people.

The project, which comprised more than 20 series on Chinese culture, its countryside and people, has been shown in more than 40 countries and regions around the globe.

Zhao has also been invited as a photographer to cover many important events, including President Xi Jinping's visit to Germany in 2017.

Separately, Zhao has showed his works at many international organizations, including four solo exhibitions at the European Union headquarters in Brussels.

Contact the writer at liuxiangrui@chinadaily.com.cn