He studied in Japan from 1902 and joined the Tongmenghui (Chinese Revolutionary Alliance) in 1905 as editor of the newspaper Min Bao.

Shortly after the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, he was appointed Governor of Guangdong and Chief Secretary of the Provisional Government.

Hu lived in Guangdong from 1917 to 1921 and worked for Sun Yat-sen, first as Minister of Transport and later as Chief Adviser.

Hu Hanmin visited Kemalist Turkey and was greatly inspired by the revolutionary nationalist ideals of Kemalism.

In response to Wang, Chiang broke his previous agreement with Hu to hold off the promulgation of his own Provisional Constitution.

Hu continued to rule southern China, the heartland of the KMT, with the help of Chen Jitang and the New Guangxi clique.

[6] Hu was an advocate of action against Japanese aggression, criticising Chiang Kai-shek for "his spineless failure to adopt a strong policy towards the foreign power which has torn and ravaged our homeland!

At the first session of the Kuomintang's Fifth Conference in December 1935, he was elected Chairman of the Central Committee for Common Affairs in absentia.