Tsai Shengbai (); also known as: Tsai Hsiung (), (27 September 1894 – 15 April 1977) was a pioneering Chinese

industrialist A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...

. During 1915 to 1919, Tsai Shengbai studied at Lehigh University. In the initial phase of Chinese industrial expansion, until the early 1950s, Tsai was at the forefront in the development of modern silk manufacturing industry in China. Under Tsai's helm, Mayar Silk Mills, a premier Shanghai silk manufacturer, used its prowess in technologies,

marketing Marketing is the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market in terms of goods and services; potentially including selection of a target audience; selection of certain attributes or themes to emph ...

and

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to reach a dominant position, and Tsai became an icon in early Chinese industrial circles. In 1930s, Tsai played a lead role in the National Products Movement (國貨運動) to defend domestic industries from foreign dumping in China, protecting Chinese industrial and

economic development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and o ...

in its infancy. He also spearheaded business groups and liaison agencies which connected domestic banks and manufacturers, strengthening domestic industries, and organized and promoted numerous domestic products

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s. Following the Japanese

invasion An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...

of Shanghai in August 1937, Tsai helped to coordinate industrial retreat from the coastal region. Mayar loaded its plant and equipment on twelve ships bound for Hong Kong,

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...

, and

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...

. During World War II, Mayar continued to expand its manufacturing to include

northern China Northern China () and Southern China () are two approximate regions within China. The exact boundary between these two regions is not precisely defined and only serve to depict where there appears to be regional differences between the climate ...

, as well as to build nationwide

sales Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale. The seller, or the provider of the goods or services, completes a sale in r ...

and

networks. As the war ended in August 1945, Mayar had now been distributed nationwide. In spite of difficulties during the war, Mayar flourished and found opportunities for expansion. Its market valuation skyrocketed. Tsai then went abroad to conduct market studies and to establish offices in New York,

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, and as well in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

and

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

. Following the founding of the People's Republic of China in October 1949, Tsai continued his cooperation with the new government. The

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

broke out a year later. The U.S. and its allies'

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against

Mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...

sealed Mayar's fate. Facing the sanction together with industrial

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in China, Tsai retreated and

retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...

to Hong Kong. Nevertheless, his legacy of industrial ambition and entrepreneurial zest has continued in his family by Yang Yuan-loong and

Marjorie Yang Mun-tak Marjorie Yang Mun-tak Gold Bauhinia Star, GBS (; born 1952) is Chairwoman of Esquel Group, a Hong Kong-based textile and apparel manufacturer with operations throughout the world, producing over 110 million cotton shirts every year for well-a ...

who have since built up a world-class textile company,

Esquel Group Esquel Group () is a Hong Kong-based textile and apparel manufacturer. It is the world's largest woven shirt maker, producing about 100 million shirts annually. Esquel supplies textile to companies such as Li-Ning, Li Ning, Anta Sports, ANTA Spo ...

Biography

Sent through Tsinghua College by Chinese government to advance studies in the U.S. Graduated from Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts BEng.in Mining Engineering, Lehigh University 1919, Mayar Silk Mills.

Family

Tsai was married to Moh Huaizhu, the daughter of Moh Shangqing, the founder of Mayar Silk Mills. The couple had four daughters and a son, including Dora Tsai Yungfong, wife to Yang Yuan-loong.

References

Hsiung Tsai 2007, Y.L.Yang Education Foundation Publication, December 2007,{{ISBN, 978-988-17391-1-7 Businesspeople from Zhejiang Lehigh University alumni 1894 births 1977 deaths People from Huzhou 20th-century Chinese businesspeople