The bank was founded in 1923 as Ka Wah Ngan Ho (Traditional Chinese: 嘉華銀號) in Guangzhou by Dr. Lam Chi Fung, the founding president of Hong Kong Baptist College.
In 1926 Ka Wah Savings Bank Limited (Traditional Chinese: 嘉華儲蓄銀行有限公司) was founded in Hong Kong.
During the World War II period the branches in Shanghai and Guangzhou were closed.
Low (Low Chung Song 刘灿松), a Singapore businessman and banker, led a takeover of Ka Wah Bank in December 1974 from a group of U.S. investors.
[1] In 1980 the bank was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.