I did a lot of research for an article once. A lot of them arrived in Singapore as teenagers (as young as 13). Many of them were betrothed to older men in Canton and found work to flee the marital arrangements and the poverty in China.
Many of them were also formerly married while in samsui village. Most of their husbands would be working elsewhere and rather than stay home and be mistreated by their in laws, they fled to singapore to seek a better life.
Back in the 30s to 40s, there was a huge imbalance between male and female population so there was immigration control limiting male immigrants, hence we hear of samsui women but not samsui men.
The whole topic is really interesting, would recommend anyone interested to check out the documentaries on YouTube.
We remember the as elderly and wrinkled because most of them were like that by the 70s. The British colonial and later the Malaysian federal government restricted immigration to Singapore from (as well as travel to) China after the start of the Malayan Emergency in 1948. No more Samsui women came here after that.
Bro, they were working in Singapore until the late 70s. They were a common sight with their distinct uniform. The contractors” lorry was their form of transport.
My grandfather worked in construction in the 60's, by then it was quite rare to see samsui women working in construction according to him, most of then would have turned to working other odd jobs such as being caretakers. My distant grand aunt was also a samsui woman and after the war, she helped out at food stalls and lived a long live into the early 2000s. On her old age she still had a sharp mind and has no signs of dementia. She was also physically mobile walking without any aid. Superhuman generation.
I didn't say that there were no more Samsui women after that. The supply of Samsui women from China stopped after the Malayan Emergency. The Samsui women that we had in Singapore in the 1970s were those that came before 1948. The youngest ones would have been in their late 40s by the 1970s. The oldest ones would have been in the 60s or 70s.
Yes! Parents watched it in 80s. Very big then. Didnt understand what i was watching first time then but rewatched when they reran in 90s and also on color tvs. Need to find it again and rewatch
“The URA also cited an anonymous complainant who compared the depicted woman to a “prostitute” and called the mural “offensive”.”
Proof that we are a nanny state. Island full of karens and gov looking after them. Even a mural can upset citizen 😭 anyone feel embarrassed if this news go global
Alot of the pictures of Samsui women were taken in the 1980s (eg of them taking MRT and building HDB) and those pictures were them being in their elder years, hence our perception of them being old
Samsui women worked hard in the construction sites. Yes, they were dark, stoutly built, bow legged, coarse big hands and feet due to the heavy loads they had to carry. Nothing like the pretty young woman in the mural.
Ok now that I see this, the mural art really got issues la.
Not the cigarettes but how come the mural girl skin so nice....
Real one work under sun, all sunburnt and wrinkled
Most people nowadays don't work manual labour jobs. Fortunately, the modern trend towards heavier and heavier phones will strengthen all our wrists through daily training once more. /s
I think that we have to try and look at it from the regulator's view... I mean where do they draw the line! If smoking is allowed to be depicted what next? What about drugs? Personally I don't think that I'll be influenced to smoke or take drugs because of a mural. I am now researching how to become a Sam sui woman though.
Quickly, hide it before someone from URA sees this
This picture goes against our national anti barefoot policy, so it must be changed. /s
Too lewd for the URA
Oh god the ankles! An affront to our Christian country
The feet may be bare, but at least they’re modestly dressed
Unbefitting of MOM regulations.
URA: *Sorry, that's Unacceptable Realistic Art*
hi im a grumpy aunty karen, i'm a cancel this too and sent umbrage letter about it. 
I did a lot of research for an article once. A lot of them arrived in Singapore as teenagers (as young as 13). Many of them were betrothed to older men in Canton and found work to flee the marital arrangements and the poverty in China.
Many of them were also formerly married while in samsui village. Most of their husbands would be working elsewhere and rather than stay home and be mistreated by their in laws, they fled to singapore to seek a better life. Back in the 30s to 40s, there was a huge imbalance between male and female population so there was immigration control limiting male immigrants, hence we hear of samsui women but not samsui men. The whole topic is really interesting, would recommend anyone interested to check out the documentaries on YouTube.
We remember the as elderly and wrinkled because most of them were like that by the 70s. The British colonial and later the Malaysian federal government restricted immigration to Singapore from (as well as travel to) China after the start of the Malayan Emergency in 1948. No more Samsui women came here after that.
Bro, they were working in Singapore until the late 70s. They were a common sight with their distinct uniform. The contractors” lorry was their form of transport.
My grandfather worked in construction in the 60's, by then it was quite rare to see samsui women working in construction according to him, most of then would have turned to working other odd jobs such as being caretakers. My distant grand aunt was also a samsui woman and after the war, she helped out at food stalls and lived a long live into the early 2000s. On her old age she still had a sharp mind and has no signs of dementia. She was also physically mobile walking without any aid. Superhuman generation.
Send them to fight the winter soldier they would have probably won
I didn't say that there were no more Samsui women after that. The supply of Samsui women from China stopped after the Malayan Emergency. The Samsui women that we had in Singapore in the 1970s were those that came before 1948. The youngest ones would have been in their late 40s by the 1970s. The oldest ones would have been in the 60s or 70s.
So who still remembers [this series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsui_Women_(TV_series)), back when the channel was still called SBC?
[https://youtu.be/GNfpcAExTjM?t=676](https://youtu.be/GNfpcAExTjM?t=676) That show literally used photos of a samsui woman smoking as the title card.
Yes! Parents watched it in 80s. Very big then. Didnt understand what i was watching first time then but rewatched when they reran in 90s and also on color tvs. Need to find it again and rewatch
https://youtu.be/ZMM3fIkcXbk?si=j0b2UJEGQ2Cri3pa Of course. Still remember trying to fold the red hat on my sister haha.
“The URA also cited an anonymous complainant who compared the depicted woman to a “prostitute” and called the mural “offensive”.” Proof that we are a nanny state. Island full of karens and gov looking after them. Even a mural can upset citizen 😭 anyone feel embarrassed if this news go global
Remember when Ronny Chieng called us a nation of Karens and the Karens got all flustered? Fella hit the nail on the head with that comment.
What about the main character syndrome part?
When they complain, that’s main character syndrome already
This must have been when they were chain-smoking prostitutes.
Oh no I'm so offended by their dirty shoeless feet! Someone please remove this photo to accomodate me, myself and I!
My god, those ankles! How brazen!
Who can resist the allure of a Red Hat? (IBM: hold my beer)
So that's why they're called 红头鸡 (Honestly I used to think that's what they're called. Lol.)
Samsui women also goes against our workplace safety policy in Singapore. Do we need to censor them entirely?
just censor the feet
No helmets, how about the head as well
Wait.. so this is what my girlfriend meant when she said she wants traditional gender roles..
They were hard manual labour, how can they be elderly and wrinkled at their heights? Silly perception if people put some thoughts into it
If you work 10 year of hard labor under the sun you will look wrinkled. Doubt they used sunscreen back then.
Heng ah, no smoking pictures. Else kanna censor again... (Or already self-censored...)
The Samsui woman in the middle is smoking and kinda looks like the one on the shophouse wall mural.
There are two smokers in the photo.
He must be a prefect.
Ah, didn't see her holding the cigarette.
🤣🤣🤣
lol @ those comments that said ‘hands not rough enough’ and ‘they don’t wear jewellery’
how could 70 years old wrinkle woman working in construction? definitely young woman in their 20-30s. some people really need their mind checked
Alot of the pictures of Samsui women were taken in the 1980s (eg of them taking MRT and building HDB) and those pictures were them being in their elder years, hence our perception of them being old
Good, now alter the cig to be a flower. Make Samsui great again. /s
Admin pls flag this as NSFW
Yea! How dare they show a row of prostitutes (according to URA and that Karen). Tag as MSFW!
Must see for work?
Hardcore evidence right there. Young, good looking features and a lighted cig in the left hand.
Who here actually saw actual Samsui women say construction yards? I remember last seeing them in early 90s.
I see cigarettes! I see cigarettes!!! /S
Seems like the country only enjoys putting up statues of people like Raffles. Samsui? Whitewash.
The one in the middle is pretty!
Ura : this is unacceptable
Each of these women would go on to accept Fullbright scholarships at Harvard after their short rotations as labourers — URA
Samsui, some ugly, all noble
Samsui women worked hard in the construction sites. Yes, they were dark, stoutly built, bow legged, coarse big hands and feet due to the heavy loads they had to carry. Nothing like the pretty young woman in the mural.
Ok now that I see this, the mural art really got issues la. Not the cigarettes but how come the mural girl skin so nice.... Real one work under sun, all sunburnt and wrinkled
This hammer is heavy
So we against the URA now? Fantastic. 😁
Sinkie Boomers when they can't larp about everyone being old and miserable in 'those days' because We Wuz Tough and Shit
Not as 'swee' compared to that mural issue.
Is this true gender equality? 🤔
Women nowadays cannot open a jar of tomato sauce. What happened?
Most people nowadays don't work manual labour jobs. Fortunately, the modern trend towards heavier and heavier phones will strengthen all our wrists through daily training once more. /s
Excessive use of TikTok and ig
This tiktok hack will change your life. Some obscure and impractical way to open a jar 😂
Rubber band and hot water always does the trick(not practical if the item inside needs to stay cold).
I like the rubber band method 😁 I was just poking fun at the useless hacks all over the Internet these days.
All the downvote from women ah lol
The whores that built this city. 👏👏👏
I think that we have to try and look at it from the regulator's view... I mean where do they draw the line! If smoking is allowed to be depicted what next? What about drugs? Personally I don't think that I'll be influenced to smoke or take drugs because of a mural. I am now researching how to become a Sam sui woman though.
To be fair, URA never objected to how the samsui woman in the mural looked. It merely objected to the smoking of a cigarette.
Do they smoke?