[1][2] When he was consul-general in Vienna during World War II, he risked his life and career to save "perhaps tens of thousands" of Jews by issuing them visas, disobeying the instruction of his superiors.

A diligent and hard-working student, he managed to enter the Yali School in the provincial capital of Changsha and later Yale-in-China University.

This was difficult, however, because at the 1938 Évian Conference 31 countries (out of a total of 32, which included Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) refused to accept Jewish immigrants.

[7] Acting against the orders of his superior Chen Jie (陳介), the Chinese ambassador to Berlin, Ho started to issue transit visas to Shanghai, under Japanese occupation except for foreign concessions.

A shadow was cast over his later years by impeachment by Taipei's Committee on the Discipline of Public Functionaries for having allegedly misappropriated funds when he was ambassador to Colombia in 1970.

[16] Ho's actions in Vienna went unnoticed during his lifetime, save for a black mark in his personnel file for disobeying orders.

They were finally recognized, posthumously, when he was awarded the title Righteous Among the Nations by the Israeli organization Yad Vashem at a ceremony in 2001 and honored by Boys Town Jerusalem in 2004.

[14][17] On 10 September 2015, Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou awarded a posthumous citation to Ho for his service and presented his daughter a certificate of appreciation alongside Israeli government representatives.