Samsui Woman

Let’s honour the women who helped build Singapore.

A limited keepsake tote bag measuring with these words printed on bag: Samsui women, also known as hong tou jin (红头巾; Mandarin for “red headscarf”) after their trademark red headgear, were female immigrants mainly from the Sanshui (“Samsui” in Cantonese; meaning “three waters”) district of Canton (Guangdong today) province in southern China. Samsui women started arriving in Singapore in large numbers in the mid-1930s and many found work as general labourers in the construction industry. There are few Samsui women left in Singapore today, as most have either passed away or returned to China. They are often depicted in popular culture as thrifty and resilient individuals who helped to build up the country’s infrastructure. Each bag has a piece of 红头巾 (or red headscarf) sewn on to provide a unique tactile experience, taking one all the way back to the founding days of Singapore.