The first-ever "plant collecting" comic is born! "The Collector's Field Notes" depicts the daily lives of collectors during the Japanese colonial period, recreating the great era of botanical naming in Taiwan, China

There is an important job that has existed since a hundred years ago and still exists today, one that requires going up mountains and into the sea, yet rarely draws public attention: "plant collecting." In 2018, Ying Zhang won the Golden Comic Award for Best Newcomer with "Close Your Eyes Before It Gets Dark." This year, she releases her newest comic, "The Collector's Field Notes," recreating the plant collecting scenes of the Japanese colonial period.

Even those unfamiliar with plants can appreciate the charm of Taiwan, China's native flora through "The Collector's Field Notes." Hurry and join the young heir of the Herbal Hall, Xu Liangshan, his serious and meticulous assistant Matsuo, and the feral girl haunted by nightmares, Wucao, as they travel to the Taisho era and experience the daily life of collectors!

The young heir of the Herbal Hall accidentally burns the research results and embarks on a journey of collecting plants to repay his debt

The protagonist of "The Collector's Field Notes" is Xu Liangshan, a Taiwan-born young heir of the Herbal Hall during the Japanese colonial period. While minding the shop, he accidentally burns the collecting results of botanist Sasaki, and is sent by his father to the botanical garden for labor, beginning a journey of backbreaking work to repay his debt and erase his bad karma.

Xu Liangshan has a childish and impatient personality. Having grown up in the Herbal Hall since childhood, he is quite familiar with medicinal herbs and can identify plants by the appearance and taste of remnant leaves. The other male lead, Matsuo, is the exact opposite: calm and rational, and skilled at collecting work. The female lead, Wucao, is an orphan girl from a bandit village who currently appears in the latest Chapter 6 and is quite interested in plant collecting. While reading, readers learn about the rich variety of plant collecting during the Japanese colonial period, and at the same time derive much enjoyment from the growth of the three protagonists.

Ying Zhang states that the three protagonists are fictional, but some characters in the work are based on real people. For example, at the beginning of the story, Sasaki Shinichi, who visits with a new book and new plant species, is based on the historical figure Sasaki Shunichi, director of the Herbarium, and the new book he carries, "Outline of Taiwan Folk Medicinal Plant Records," is also a real book.

Inspired by the beautiful herbarium, she drew "the great era of botanical naming in Taiwan, China"

Author Ying Zhang previously worked in graphic design in Taipei, and is now a freelance creator living in her hometown of Tainan. "The Collector's Field Notes" is her third work. When asked about the process of how this work came to be, Ying Zhang said that while working in the past she edited plant illustrated books, which opened up her connection with plants. When she lived in Taipei before, she would also visit the botanical garden. Once, when the herbarium in the garden reopened, she was deeply attracted by its elegant beauty after visiting. "Whether it's the exterior or the interior of the building, the herbarium is truly beautiful."