T.Y. Wu founder of Teh Hu Steamship (Hong Kong) Limited, was another ex-Shanghainese shipowner who made good in Hong Kong, after the fall of China to the Communists in 1949. T.Y. Wu of The Teh Hu Steamship became a leading figure in the ship owning fraternity of Hong Kong.

Worldwide Shipping, Orient Overseas, Wah Kwong and IMC, all hold the Shanghainese pedigree and are household names in Hong Kong shipping circles, nevertheless a number of other Shanghainese shipowners also played significant roles in the development of the HK shipping industry, such as T.Y. Wu of Teh Hu Steamships fame. Today, Teh Hu Cargocean remains one of HK’s leading operator of bulk carriers transporting grain, iron ore and coal on a global basis.

He first established the Teh Hu Company in Shanghai which was involved in the import and export of machinery, metals, and other miscellaneous goods. When Shanghai was occupied by the Japanese, Wu moved to Kunming in Yunnan province where he established a machinery factory, also named Teh Hu, in the winter of 1939. During the war years the company activity was limited but T.Y. Wu never lost sight of his ambition to become a shipowner.

Prior to the 1949 Communist takeover in China, in 1948, Wu established Teh Hu Steamship in Shanghai and acquired a steamship Macao, 1,027 grt, built in 1911 as Sanda for Clyde Shipping Co. (above), and renamed it Teh Hu following the name of his recently established company. The ship operated for 15 more years until 1963 when she was scrapped.

In late 1962. Teh Hu acquired the 4,310 tons Sletholm, formerly built as Tessa Dan in Denmark in 1950, and damaged by fire while moored in Shanghai in November of 1962. He repaired the ship, and resumed service as New Teh Hu in February 1963. The new vessel caught on fire yet again in July 1963, but was subsequently repaired and returned to service in 1964. Teh Hu operated New Teh Hu until 1973 when he sold the ship to Trans Safety Shipping. The ship was finally demolished in Thailand in 1978 after 28 years of service.

With the fall of China to the Communists in 1949, Wu relocated his company to Hong Kong as his base of operations, and at the same time invested heavily in Taiwan, the most prominent investment being South East Soda Manufacturing, also known as Sesoda, the largest producer of potassium sulfate (SOP, used primarily in fertilizers) on the island, founded in 1957. Wu as a major shareholder served as Sesoda’s chairman. Also, in the 1950s, Teh Hu established Panamanian entities such as Compania Naviera Victoria Neptuno SA and Compania Naviera Pearl SA as corporate instruments by which to acquire ships.

In 1957, Teh Hu via their Panamanian associate company Neptuno acquired the 1,250 grt Liberal from Wallem and renamed her Amira. She had been built in 1915 by Campbeltown Shipbuilding Co. on the Clyde as the Primo (above) for Pelton SS Co. They operated the ship until 1961 when she was broken up in Hong Kong.

In 1961, Teh Hu acquired the 3,952 grt steamship Cycle, built in 1939, from Australian Steamships and renamed her Amita (above). They operated the vessel until 1972 when she was scrapped in Kaohsiung. By 1961, Teh Hu had 13 ships including the latest one which was ordered from a West German shipyard. By this time the fleet were regular carriers of cargo in trades between Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, and throughout Southeast Asia.

During the late 1950-60s T.Y. Wu remained active in the secondhand ship market acquiring 4 ships from Union Steamship Company New Zealand. The first one was Wainui (above) of 1,633 grt, built 1930 and acquired in 1958. She was was renamed Amonea but was unfortunately wrecked in 1960 in the Sulu Sea west of Borneo.

The Kakapo (above) of 2,498 grt was built in 1937 and purchased in 1960 and was renamed Teh Ping in 1964. She was broken up in Taiwan in 1970.

Waipori (above) was built in 1938. She was 4,282 grt and was purchased in 1966 and renamed Pacific Mariner.

Waitemata (7,364 grt, built 1946) was acquired in 1967 and renamed Amelia (above).

In 1963, Teh Hu Shipping bought the 5,222 grt Hoperidge from Hopemount Shipping of Newcastle and renamed her Bethlehem (above). The ship sank 30 miles off Singapore after collision with the Japanese tanker Showa Maru in 1969.

In 1965, Teh Hu acquired the 7,345 grt Eftychia from Greece She was built as Riverton (above) in 1943 for Chapman & Willan and Teh Hu renamed the ship Boaz. She was broken up in Kaohsiung in 1969.

Later, during 1965 the company acquired the 9,824 grt Bermuda Hibiscus, ex-Beaverglen, originally built for Canadian Pacific in 1946, and renamed her Ping An. Unfortunately the ship was wrecked in Holland in November of the same year (above).

Sadly, in 1979, T.Y. Wu died, and management of his shipping enterprise transferred to his two sons, Wu Chung-hua and Brian Wu Chung-dan and god son Chung-Li Wu. Following graduation from University Bruce eventually joined Teh-Hu where he rose to become its senior Vice President, also serving as a Director of Sesoda. Following his college graduation, Chung-li Wu also served as Director and vice chairman of Sesoda.

Teh Hu merged with Cargocean Shipping in 1974, which owned two vessels, Hsin Pioneer and Hsin Mei, a shipping firm controlled by the Yeh family of the Hsin Chong Construction giant, to form Teh-Hu Cargocean Management. Under the management of Chairman C. K. Liu and Managing Director Kenneth K.W. Lo, Teh-Hu Cargocean grew to a fleet of 19 vessels with total tonnage of over 900,000 tons by 1985.

Commencing in the 1970s, Teh-Hu started buying larger and newer ships, from shipyards in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China such as the 17,520 grt Virtuous (above) which was built in Taiwan in 1971 and operated it until its sale in 1985.

Other vessels under Teh Hu’s management which all have names ending with “ous” include Victorious, Spacious (8,767 grt, built 1977), Industrious (3,579 grt, built 1973), Beauteous (32,941 grt, built 1969), Bounteous (8,734 grt, built 1973), Jade Glorious (33,072 grt, built 1972), Diamond Glorious (78,021 grt, built 1971), Righteous (114,873 grt, built 1976), Duteous (8,767 grt, built 1977, sold 1988), Precious (65,419 grt, built 1979), Ingenious (14,560 gt, built 1982), Aberous (77,273 gt, built 1992), Mightious (56,273 grt, built 1972), Prosperous (92,941 grt, built 2011), Harmonious (106,817 gt, built 2014, at 206,000 dwt, the largest Teh Hu ever ordered) and Courageous (94,455 gt, built 2016).

In 1994 they launched the 72,873 dwt bulk carrier Luise Oldendorff in partnership with the German shipping magnate Egon Oldendorff.

Kenneth Lo served as Chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association from 1986-87 and succeeded Liu as chairman of Teh Hu Cargocean after Liu’s death in December 2004. From 1988 onwards, Teh Hu focussed mainly on Capesize class of bulk carriers and maintained ownership of 5-6 ships at any given time. Since 2000, management of most of Teh Hu’s ships are handled by Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, incorporated in 1974.