Hua Nan Bank was founded in 1919 with 10 million yen in capital by Mr. Lin Hsiung-Cheng and other Southeast Asian overseas Chinese investors. Initially headquartered in Taipei, the bank started operations in March 1919. Mr. Lin served as Chairman until 1944 when he became Chairman Emeritus. After Taiwan's retrocession to China in 1945, Mr. Lin played a crucial role in securing government support for the bank's continued viability. He passed away in 1946, and Mr. Liou,Ci-Guang became Chairman in 1947. The bank steadily expanded, merging with Taiwan Trust Company in 1947 and increasing capital. It adapted to economic challenges, including the economic slump in mainland China in 1948, and increased capital to 1 billion Old Taiwan dollars. Over the years, it continued to grow and adapt to changes in the financial environment, eventually becoming one of Taiwan's largest and soundest banks. It completed privatization in 1998 and established Hua Nan Financial Holdings Co., Ltd. in 2001. The bank has gone through various mergers and expansions to diversify its business, including merging with Hua Nan Bills Corp. in 2008, establishing Hua Nan International Leasing Co., Ltd. in 2012, and merging with Hua Nan Insurance Agency Corp. in 2017.
