Taken in 1948, this was a group photograph taken outside Kheng Chiu Tin Hou Kong temple (琼州天后宫) to commemorate the visit of Dr. Chen Xujing (陈序经), then-professor of Nankai University, Tianjin, China. Chen is seated 7th from the right in the front row, wearing a dark jacket.Chen was born in Hainan island and received his early education in Singapore at Yuying Primary School and Chinese High School. He later received his PhD in Political Science from the University of Illinois in 1928 and taught at various universities in China such as Lingnan University and Nankai University. After the war, he also served as the Vice President of Zhongshan University and President of the Lingnan University and Jinan University in Guangzhou.Founded in 1854 by Hainanese clansmen, the temple and the Kheng Chiu Hwee Guan (琼州会馆) occupied the same premises at Malabar Street until 1879 where they both moved to 47 Beach Road. The current clan association, renamed Singapore Hainan Hwee Kuan in 1994, is still located at Beach Road.
