He was born in Yancheng county, Jiangsu province. Hau was named commander of the 9th Infantry Division of Quemoy in 1958, presiding over the 44-day bombardment of the island by the Chinese Communists.
In the 1996 elections, though a vice-chairman of the Kuomintang, he ran for vice-president on the ticket of Lin Yang-kang.
His son is New Party politician Hau Lung-pin.