When Blake died young, Whang At Tong took over his work and traveled to London where Blake's father introduced him to many important people, including Joseph Banks, the first director of London's Kew Gardens.

To this day, Kew, which in February hosted a Chinese orchid festival, remains one of the world's most prestigious centers for botanical studies. It works closely with leading Chinese institutions, and last year signed a new 10-year partnership with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The collection of Blake's study notes and Mak Sau's paintings was later split between Blake's descendants, with the notes ending up in the library of Canterbury Cathedral in England, and the pictures being purchased by the Oak Spring Garden Foundation in Virginia in the United States.