In 1888, Khoo Seok Wan returned to Haicheng, Fujian to take part in the entry-level imperial examination. There and then, he attempted to form a literary group with like-minded intelligentsia to have gatherings and discussions about poetry and art. In 1893, Khoo invited Rong Yu’an, one of the members, to paint this album. This work is an exemplary example of early migrant artists who keep to the literati traditions with influence by the Shanghai School, which carry a sense of inventive brushworks that pushes away from traditional boundaries. It also provide insights of local networks and art activities of a group of migrant artists who follows the traditional literati tradition and also illuminate relationships amongst art and cultural networks between Southern China and Singapore. Earliest luminaries from Southern China and Singapore to leave their inscriptions in this album include Lim Nee Soon.
