Au pays du cerf blanc #1

A lone traveler — robed and staff in hand — leaves a trail of footprints across a pale, wintry plain beside a gnarled, bare tree, setting a mood of quiet contemplation that feels both timeless and deeply rooted in Chinese literary tradition. Published by Éditions de la Cerise in 2015, this first volume (*Premier Tome*) of *Au pays du cerf blanc*, by Chen Zhongshi and Li Zhiwu, arrives wrapped in an elegant design that blends Chinese calligraphy and ornamental patterning with restrained, two-tone illustration. It's a genuinely inviting opening to what promises to be a thoughtfully crafted work.