A convoy of off-road vehicles was winding its way up the mountain road, kicking up clouds of dust that obscured the view. Suddenly, it came to a halt. Wang Tianyi, clad in a blue uniform, camouflage pants, and work shoes, stepped out of the first vehicle and gently carried away the calf that was blocking the way ahead.

This unexpected encounter on Jan 28, unlike past encounters with bears and wild boars, marked the start of yet another challenging day for Wang and his colleagues as they embarked on a crucial mineral exploration mission around the Lanping lead-zinc mine in the Nujiang Lisu autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province.

As the first stage of mineral exploration, the work of Wang's group involves collecting soil samples at the vertices of each 40-meter-by-100-meter rectangle, drying them in the sun, grinding them into powder, and testing their geochemical composition. With 90 percent of the work already completed, their task for that day was to sample the last and most rugged central area in the north.

"This is tough work, but every sample we collect brings us one step closer to finding new mineral deposits. And it's all worth it," the 35-year-old said.

Having commenced the project in early January, Wang is among the 33 geological workers from the Kunming General Survey of Natural Resources Center of the China Geological Survey, tasked with mapping a 44-square-kilometer surrounding area of China's largest open-pit lead-zinc mine. Braving freezing temperatures, steep slopes, and mysterious unknowns, they provide valuable insights into the region's mineral potential, facilitating the planning of future exploration and mining efforts.