• These hardworking women, who hailed mostly from the Samsui region in Guangzhou, contributed significantly to laying a solid foundation for Singapore’s growth. Between 1934 and 1938 alone, around 190,000 women from China came to Malaya. A large number of them found their way to Singapore.
• To earn a living, some of the women started working on construction sites, and began donning red headscarves. One explanation is that the Samsui women were working alongside Hakka women, for whom the red headscarf is a traditional headdress. The red headscarf has become an important symbol of the Samsui women, and an important part of Singapore’s history.

The original short film featuring the stories of five ordinary Singaporeans was aired at the National Day Parade last night. Among those featured in the film is 82-year-old Madam Woo Yun Sum, a former Samsui woman, who was there to watch the parade. (Lianhe Wanbao, 10/8/2018)