Theodone C. Hu

Theodone C. Hu (J. C. Hu, Dongchao Hu, or Zhenting Hu) (1872–1957) was a Chinese civil engineer, librarian, and writer. He worked on many of the early railroads in China.

Birth and family background Theodone C. Hu was born in 1872 in Huangpu town, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.

In 1757, the Qing Dynasty opened a harbor, the Ancient Huangpu Harbor, for international trading in this town. This harbor remained as the only international harbor in China until 1842.

Theodone Hu's father Jianchu Hu (胡建初) was the second son of Honggen Hu (胡宏根). Hu's uncle was Xuanze Hu(胡旋泽). (Hu's ancestors had moved from Chongan in Fujian to Huanpu town during the Yuan Dynasty.) In the mid- to late 19th century, Xuanze Hu was renowned as a community leader in Singapore, and therefore he was appointed as an overseas consul in Singapore. At the same time, Xuanze Hu was appointed as Consul of Russia and Japan in Singapore. He was made a baron by Australia and made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George by the British government. For all his success, Xuanze Hu was known simply as "Mister Huangpu" in Singapore. Streets and a school in Singapore are still named after Xuanze. Xuanze Hu also earned his respects and reputation in Singapore community by supporting garden developments, by his charity works, and by providing financial support for Raffles Girls' School. Xuanze thought it important to develop education programs for women, Hu also wrote a letter to Jianying Ye, the chairman of Guangdong, and proposed road construction programs in south China.

Under the People's Republic of China

From 1950, Hu worked in the Guangdong Cultural Relics Preservation Committee and fulfilled his "dream of becoming a librarian". In 1955, he went back to his hometown, where he died of illness in 1957.

Hu's home in Huangpu, called Dong Yuan, stands to this day.