[5] Hang Seng began as a small currency changing booth on Wing Lok Street in Sheung Wan.
After the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, Shanghai and Guangzhou were occupied by the Japanese, but Hang Seng initially made substantial profits by facilitating the foreign exchange needs of the Republic of China.
After the surrender of Japan in 1945, Ho revived Hang Seng, which became a leader of Chinese-owned banks in Hong Kong.
[5] In 1983, on the 50th anniversary of the Bank, Ho was named Hang Seng's Honorary chairman for the remainder of his life.
Ho conceived the idea of creating the Hang Seng Index as the "Dow Jones Industrial Average of Hong Kong".
In 1970, he founded the S. H. Ho Foundation to support charitable causes in China and overseas, including regional construction, education, medical services, scientific research[9] and the training of new talent.
[3]: 1973 In 1980, following the reform and opening of mainland China, Ho found his former employee Chen Zhenxia (陳震夏) in Shanghai.
Following Ho's advice, Chen used two-thirds of the windfall to establish the Huaxia Foundation dedicated to the cause of education and health in China and Hong Kong.
[3]: 1977 Ho also donated HK$20 million to help establish the business school of Zhongshan University in Guangzhou.