This book is one of 'Biographies of cultural celebrities from Zhejiang' Series, which reflects a lifespan of Yuan Mei, who was a well-known poet, scholar, artist, and gastronome of the Qing Dynasty. Yuan Mei was born in Zhejiang province and classed as one of 'the Three Great Masters of Qianlong Period'. He produced a great deal of poetry, essays and paintings, which represented his interest in Chinese Chán and the supernatural. Yuan is most famous for his poetry, which have been described as 'unusually clear and elegant language'. Throughout his lifetime, he travelled extensively throughout southern China and kept journal entries.