Born in Shanghai, China, in 1935, Hsiao Chin moved to Taiwan with his family in 1949. He enrolled at Taiwan Provincial Normal School (now National Taipei University of Education) in 1951. The next year, Hsiao began to study painting with master Li Chun-Shan, whose unorthodox art pedagogy inspired Hsiao Chin greatly.
Located in Rende District of Tainan City, the Chimei Museum was established by Shi Wen-long, the founder of Chi Mei Corporation. With about 13,000 artifacts, the private art museum has the richest collections in Taiwan. Its collections are divided into four parts: Western art, musical instruments, weaponry, and natural history.