Lin Dihuan's new comic collection, Xiaolin Comics: A Happy Excursion in Life, features prose and about 600 comics conveying inspiration that are rendered in traditional Chinese ink-painting style.[Photo provided to China Daily]

A Happy Excursion is a famous article from the ancient Chinese Taoist classic Chuang-Tzu in which "the author talks about how giving up selfish desires provides individual freedom", Lin says.

The concept inspired his collection's title.

"Although nobody can gain total freedom, we can learn from the concept, put aside some of our worldly desires and engage with something that can make us feel peaceful, stable and happy, like charity and art, so that we can feel much more consoled," he adds.

Popular Chinese review site Douban user Tudoubushifanqieding says: "Lin's comics are good at reducing stress. Some make me laugh. Others make me think."

Editor Zhang Ni says Lin's comics are uplifting since they offer different perspectives on life challenges.

"Lin uses simple details to depict ordinary people's experiences, including anxieties and disappointments. The comics express our buried, unpleasant feelings in a direct and humorous way. We can even laugh at ourselves. This soothes our psyches," she says.