This unusual museum was founded in 1959, by Tan Kah-Kee and is dedicated to demonstrating and recording the contributions that southeast Chinese and Fujianese immigrants have made to countries across the world. It aims to educate visitors in the customs and lifestyles of the departed locals and loosen some of the stereotypes of the "Chinese Abroad".
Many artifacts in the museum have been donated or funded by super-rich Chinese tycoons who have moved abroad in recent years. The exhibition halls here house displays of Chinese overseas exploration, painting, pottery and bronzes, which demonstrate the lives of Chinese living abroad. Many of the exhibits concentrate on Fujianese emigrants, especially the photographic exhibitions.