In her youth, Eugenia Shaw Shiah (1919-2019) studied in Beijing, where she became fascinated with Peking opera and performances by the renowned singer Cheng Yanqiu (1904-1958). After moving to the United States, she led an amateur Peking opera troupe and organized regular performances. An accomplished singer herself, she performed with Zhao Rongchen (1916-1996), a student of Cheng Yanqiu, during his visit in New York in 1984. She was married to Dr Chyn-Duog Shiah (1915-1981), a graduate of Tsing Hua University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a former chairman of the Summit Industrial Corporation and the Oceanic Petroleum Corporation. A lifelong lover and patron of the arts, Eugenia Shaw Shiah befriended many artists, including Zou Weicheng (Wilson Chou, 1915-1991), who dedicated his painting directly to her.