Wang Yuan, formerly named Junyan, styled as Shiren, Qiumei, Qiuzhai, with bynames Moss, Fragrance, and No Thought, was a native of Panyu in Guangdong province. A literati and calligrapher of the late-Qing, early-Republic period, Wang studied calligraphy for over forty years and was practised in all scripts, though his cursive script proved to be most outstanding. Besides being a collector of inscriptions, paintings, and calligraphy, Wang was also a poet and an expert on identifying paintings and scripts. He shared close friendships with Huang Jie, Zhang Taiyan, Huang Binhong, Ye Gongshuo, Zhang Shanzhang, and Zhang Daqian.

He Man’an, born in Panyu, Guangdong province, was an important collector of Chinese paintings and calligraphy in the Lingnan region. The name of his studio was Lingbi Shanfang and he was especially fond of collecting artworks by Lingnan masters, literati and politicians.

Lei Junshi, a native of Panyu, Guangdong province, was a well-known Hong Kong collector whose hall was named “Xiaolinchiguan.” From the circle of Cantonese calligraphers and painters, Lei shared deep friendships with Li Yanshan, Deng Erya, and Deng Fen.