'Yishujie's predecessor was Theater Circles, which itself evolved out of Anhui Theater, a publication of the Anhui Federation of Literary and Art Circles, or Wenlian, based in the provincial capital of Hefei. The first issue of Anhui Theater, edited by Yu Yun, came out on November 1, 1958 under the sponsorship of the provincial cultural bureau. After ceasing publication in 1961, Anhui Theater was revived in February 1979 under editor Na Sha...... Nine years and 54 issues span the time between the revival of Anhui Theater in 1979 and the closing of Theater Circles at the end of 1987.

'In 1987 provincial authorities initiated a reorganization of periodicals, and Theater Circles was merged with Anhui Pictorial and Music Circles to form a comprehensive art magazine—Yishujie. First published in 1988 under Hu Shaoqiu, Yishujie's mission was to "assemble the very best of fine arts, photography, calligraphy, film, television, drama, music and dance" with columns including "Artist's Reflection," and "Selections from the Sea of Art."

'In June 1996, Yishujie entered into a partnership with Modern Media. Under the editorship of Sun Xulun, the magazine turned its focus toward contemporary art...... From this point, Yishujie began to use the English title Art Life.

'In February of 2010, a new bilingual, bimonthly version of Yishujie was born, published by the Modern Media Group and with the English name of LEAP, a single word meant to evoke the dramatic artistic progress that has marked the past five decades of the publication's existence.' (LEAP, Issue 126, Feb 2010)

The Archive holds the following issues of:

Art Life:

1996: Mar/Apr/May/Jun (A combined issue)

1997: Jul/Aug, Nov/Dec

1998: Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, Jul/Aug(2 copies), Sep/Oct, Nov/Dec

1999: Jan/Feb

2000: May/Jun

2001: Jan/Feb, May/Jun, Sep/Oct

2002: Jul/Aug(2 copies)

2003: Sep/Oct, Nov/Dec

2004: Nov/Dec

2008: Sep/Oct

LEAP:

2010: Feb(inaugural issue, no.126, 2 copies), Apr(no.127, 2 copies), Jun/Jul (no.128, with Guide to Art HK10), Aug(no.129, 2 copies), Oct(no.130, 2 copies), Dec(no.131, 2 copies)

2011: Feb(no.132, 2 copies), Jun(no.134, 2 copies with LEAP + Modern Weekly ART HK11 Supplement), Aug(no.135, 2 copies), Oct(no.136, 2 copies), Dec(no.137, 2 copies)

2012: Feb(no.138, with Printing Project: Jiang Pengyi), Apr(no.139, 2 copies, with Guide to ART HK 12), Jun(no.140, 2 copies), Aug(no.141), Oct(no.142, 2 copies), Dec(no.143)

2013: Apr(no.145), May(special issue: Leap + Art Basel Hong Kong), Jun(no.146), Aug(no.147, 2 copies), Oct(no.148, 2 copies), Dec(no. 149)

2014: Feb(no.150, 2 copies), Apr(no.151 2 copies, one with Consuming Asia), Jun(no.152 2 copies), Aug(no.153), Sept/Oct(no.154), Nov/Dec (no.155, 2 copies)

2015: Jan/Feb(no.156, 2 copies), Mar/Apr(no.157), May/Jun(no.158, 2 copies), Jul/Aug(no.159), Sept/Oct(no.160) Nov/Dec(no.161, 2 copies, one with Pop Eyes)

2016: Jan/Feb(no.162, 2 copies), Mar/Apr(no.163, 2 copies), May/Jun(no.164, 2 copies), Aug(no.165, 2 copies), Oct(no.166, 2 copies), Dec(no.167, 2 copies)

2017: Feb(no.168, 2 copies), Special issue on Art Basel in Hong Kong(2 copies, closed stack), Apr(no.169, 2 copies), Jun(no.170, 2 copies), Fall/Winter Issue (2 copies)

2018: Art for Play (2018 Hong Kong Art Season Special, 2 copies, closed stack); Feb-Jun

2019: History in Progress: A Chinese Contemporary Scene since 2010; The Shock of the New

2020: Fall/Winter (Living in Bubbles)

2022: Spring/Summer (Recipes for Resilience); Fall/Winter(Crisis as Norm)

2023: Spring/Summer (Sleek Surfaces); Fall/Winter (Little Utopias)

Note: The magazine is published bi-monthly.