Born in Chengdu and raised in Beijing, Chen Fan, styled as Youchuan and Banriwuzhu, is a painter and photographer who was a member of the Stars group and the April Photo Society. With a passion for artistic creation, he has been extensively involved in the promotion of photography and film technologies. An internationally renowned contemporary artist, Chen Fan’s works have been exhibited and collected in many countries.

Born in 1907, Xiao Jun was formerly known as Liu Honglin and had published works under pen names including Sanlang and Tianjun. A famous writer, poet, dramatist, art connoisseur, and martial artist, Xiao served as the editor of Northwest Literature and Art, a supplement of the Republic of China Daily, the chief editor of the Lu Xun Research Series, and lecturer at the Lu Xun Academy of Arts and Literature, among many important posts. Beyond guiding Xiao to the Shanghai literary world and inspiring him to study modern Chinese literature, Lu shared a close friendship with Xiao and took care of him in various aspects of life. As a major contributor to the development of modern Chinese literature, Xiao penned many works that reflected the spirit of the times and influenced a generation of patriotic intellectuals. To Chen Fan, in addition to being a respected scholar who was committed to educating young talents, Xiao Jun was also a warm-hearted old man who treated him like family.