This invitation notice is part of the William Stirling Collection. Stirling was Assistant Protector of Chinese in Singapore from 1921 to 1931. Stirling has scribbled on the notice, but as his writing is illegible, it is not clear what event this notice was an invitation to. His collection includes items that were seized from the Chinese secret societies in 1890 when the British colonial government cracked down on them. The origins of Chinese secret societies in Singapore can be traced to the Tiandihui, a sworn fraternity among Chinese men who shared the common aim of overthrowing the Qing dynasty and restoring the Ming. With increased Chinese migration to Singapore, the local society became a form of mutual-aid and support, and various splinter groups (hui or kongsi) subsequently emerged among the main dialect groups.
