ABOUT 75 people gathered at the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) on Friday for the donation ceremony of Portrait Of Lim Loh by acclaimed Chinese artist Xu Beihong, whose retrospective exhibition at SAM ends on Sunday.

The Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Dr Lee Boon Yang was the Guest of Honour for the event.

Mr Michael Kor, Chief Executive Office of the National Heritage Board, Ms Jane Ittogi, Chairman of SAM and Mr Kwok Kian Chow, Director of SAM also attended the event.

It was also an afternoon of first meetings with long-lost relatives for many of the guests, who are descendants of wealthy industralist Lim Loh.

Madam Grace Soon, 93, one of Lim Loh's last two surviving children was also present.

China-born Lim Loh, who had a thriving construction business, built several of Singapore's landmark buildings including the Victoria Memorial Hall, Lan Tien building, the Old Parliament house and part of Goodwood Park Hotel.

He was also the father of war hero Lim Bo Seng, who led the anti-Japanese resistance movement in China during World War II.

The donation ceremony on Friday was held on the official date of Japanese surrender to the Allies in honour of Lim Bo Seng.

Said Dr Lee: 'The 'Portrait of Lim Loh' is one of the few surviving oil paintings that documents the important period of Xu Beihong's artistic activity in Singapore during the 1920s. It is a significant contribution to the Museum's mission of preserving and presenting the development of visual arts of Singapore and the Southeast Asian region.

'Such donations form an important part of the museums' continuing efforts to acquire and collect works for a National Collection that represent our shared heritage and history.'

Towkay Lim Loh had six wives and 28 children. Today his desendants run into the hundreds.

An unexpected discovery awaited SAM's director Mr Kwok on Friday morning: not only had SAM acquired a valuable new work, he found himself part of a family he never knew he had.

Said Mr Kwok: 'I found out this morning that I am, too, related to the Lim family. SAM is glad that this donation ceremony celebrates not just the giving a gift but also the achievement of the Lim family in its reunion in this day and age.'