The college can be traced back to Chu Hai University () in Guangzhou, China in 1947. The private university was founded by a group of prominent educators, financiers, and legislators of the Republic of China including Chen Jitan, Huang Lunshu, Li Yangjin, Wen Fangpu, and Kong Mou Sum. After Guangzhou was taken over by the Communist Party of China during the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the college relocated to Hong Kong. The institution was forced to rename itself Chu Hai College () as it was not recognised as a university under Hong Kong law.
