In 1953 Dr. Han Li-wu was asked to begin planning for the school after the Board agreed to allocate funds for Tunghai's development. According to the plans drawn up by the Board, Tunghai was not to be a school transferred from the mainland, but rather an entirely new school.
「東海」二字典出淮南子：「東海有君子之國」，又兼引陸象山語錄：「東海有聖人焉，其心同、其理同；西海有聖人焉，其心同、其理同。」