Father David & The Empress & The Panda

A Great Epic Novel.
The exciting story of an animal that has become a legend.

“You all know it, with its splendid black and white attire, its good-natured aura, its insatiable appetite and its funny way of walking…the panda! The children’s friend and the symbol of nature conservation…

What you may not know however, is that a French missionary, Father Armand David, in 1869, is at the origin of its discovery. Without him, the panda would have been decimated by hunting and deforestation.

Taking inspiration from this true story I invite you to follow me all the way to the forests of Sichuan, the giant panda’s territory, to travel up the Blue River, to explore the fabulous Forbidden City and mysterious Shanghai, in the footsteps of my hero, Father David Etcheparre, to meet the Empress Cixi and Fleur de Sang, a young lady enamored with pandas.

Together we will discover a China even more enigmatic than ever, subjected to assaults, plagued by opium and yet unsinkable…but also this magnificent animal, which was made one of the main ambassadors of the country.”

                                                                                                                                            José Frèches