Tong Mow Chee (aka Tang Tinggui / Tong A-chick)
唐茂枝（唐廷桂／唐植）
(1828–1897)
Graduated in 1851 - Father of Sugary Refinery
1851年畢業 — 糖廠之父
Tong Mow Chee studied at St. Paul’s College between 1849 and 1851, then went to California with his father before returning to China, where he became a renowned merchant in Shanghai and Hong Kong. He invested in Hong Kong’s first sugar refinery, held investments in several foreign enterprises, and was a comprador for Jardine Matheson. Tong is an elder brother of Tong King Sing (aka Tang Tingshu), the entrepreneur associated with the late Qing Self-Strengthening Movement.
Tong’s father originally taught at the Morrison Education Society School, but its abrupt closure in 1849 meant Tong transferred to Stanton’s newly-opened Anglo-Chinese school, along with seven of his schoolmates. During this time, Tong worked as an interpreter for the magistrate’s court.
Beyond business, Tong was also a prominent public figure. While in California, he frequently pushed back against the local government’s anti-Chinese proposals. The Tung Wah Hospital, opened in 1870, was partially funded by Tong. In Shanghai, Tong lodged complaints with the international settlement’s Municipal Council and the local Qing authorities, protesting against the blanket ban on Chinese in the Public Garden within the Bund.
Tong’s death was mourned by many in Shanghai, with 350 attending his funeral. His eldest son, Tong Kit Sing, succeeded his father as Jardine Matheson’s comprador, while also completing Tong Mow Chee’s final wish of supplying potable water to Shanghai’s Old City.