Cover illustration: Alan Z. Huang’s painting, “A Scholar in the Bamboo Forest”. Depicted is a scholar who chose to forge his own path and discover the vivid aesthetic of the bamboo forest, an abstract space allowing free contemplation and creativity. Fleeing from the dogmatic factionalism of an outside world, here he is able to engage intellectually with the seven aesthetic spirits who embody various aspects of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism.
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