In 1864, Hui Li Bank was established by Thomas Sutherland in Xiangjiang, with an initial capital of 5 million Hong Kong Dollars.
The founding members of the initial launching committee included 16 foreign trading houses, among which the more famous ones are Jardine Matheson, Sassoon & Co., and Baoshun Foreign Trading Company, among others.
Hui Li Bank was established on the 3rd of March, 1865, at No.1 Queen's Road, and in the same year on April 3rd, a branch was opened at the Peace Hotel on the ground floor in Songjiang Prefecture, followed by the opening of the England branch in July.
As for the renowned name that would later resound through the ages, it was not until 1881 that the bank was renamed, with the characters 'HSBC' penned by Zeng Guofan's eldest son and Qing court diplomat Zeng Jize, thus bestowing the name HSBC.
