''Samsui Women'' (

Simplified Chinese Simplification, Simplify, or Simplified may refer to: Mathematics Simplification is the process of replacing a mathematical expression by an equivalent one, that is simpler (usually shorter), for example * Simplification of algebraic expressions, ...

: 红头巾,

Traditional Chinese A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

: 紅頭巾, literally "The Red Bandana") is a 24-episode historical drama produced by the

Singapore Broadcasting Corporation Mediacorp Pte. Ltd., doing business as Mediacorp and stylised as mediacorp, is a media conglomerate in Singapore. Owned by Temasek Holdings—the holding company of the Government of Singapore—it owns television, radio, and digital media prope ...

in 1986. Starring

Zeng Huifen Zeng Huifen (; born 4 February 1962), also known as Jacqueline Chan, is a Singaporean actress. She was prominently a full-time Mediacorp artiste from 1983 to 1996. She is best known for starring in numerous Singaporean dramas from the 1980s to ...

Huang Wenyong Huang Wenyong (25 July 1952 – 20 April 2013) was a Malaysia-born Singaporean actor and former teacher of Chinese descent. Local media and colleagues referred to him as "Ah Ge" (senior actor) due to his status. Huang died at the Singapor ...

Hong Huifang Hong Huifang (born Ang Hwee Fong on 7 January 1961) is a Singaporean actress. Career Hong joined the SBC during the mid-1980s after completing the 5th drama training course alongside Yang Libing and Chen Tianwen, at age 22. She is perhaps b ...

and

Li Yinzhu Li Yinzhu (simplified Chinese: 李茵珠; born 14 September 1949) is a Singaporean actress. She has been in the entertainment industry since 1969 and has filmed more than 150 drama serials. Career In 1980, Li signed with Singapore Broadcasti ...

. It details the travails of the

Samsui women The term Samsui women (, mandarin for 'red headscarf') broadly refers to a group of Chinese female immigrants who came to Malaya and Singapore between the 1920s and 1940s in search of construction and industrial jobs. These women hailed mostly ...

, who came from Sanshui, China to

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

in search of work in the construction industry, and whose hard work have helped shape Singapore for years. Together with '' The Awakening'', it is considered one of the greatest dramas produced by the SBC and catapulted veteran actress

to stardom with her role as the hardworking and kind Ah Gui. The theme song was voted one of the top 5 favourite drama theme songs at the

Star Awards 2007 Star Awards 2007 () was a television award ceremony held in Singapore. It is part of the annual Star Awards organised by MediaCorp for MediaCorp TV Channel 8. It was the first ''Star Awards'' ceremony to be broadcast in two weeks putting emphasis ...

25th anniversary special.

Cast

as Dai Ah Gui *

as Dai Ah Xiu *

as Su Ah Zhi * Li Wenhai as Ah Long *

as Ying Jie *

Wang Xiang Qin Wang may refer to: Names * Wang (surname) (王), a common Chinese surname * Wāng (汪), a less common Chinese surname * Titles in Chinese nobility * A title in Korean nobility * A title in Mongolian nobility Places * Wang River in Thailand ...

as Ah Bing * Liao Lili as Ah Jin * Li Peijiao as Ah Yin *

Steven Woon Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...

as Ah Zhi's Grandfather * Yang Lina as Ah Jiao * Bhumi Paul as Zhuang Haolin * Li Yongci as Zhuang Quan * Chen Meng as Mrs Zhuang *

Chong Kwong Fatt Chong may refer to: * Chong (surname), the romanization of several Chinese and Korean surnames * Chong or Pear people of Thailand and Cambodia ** Chong language * Chong or Limbu people of eastern Nepal, Bhutan, and northeastern India * ancient Chi ...

as Cheng Er Niu * Tang Hu as Yi Ding Zhi

Production

The production team attempted to find the Samsui women to interview them about the past but could not locate them as they had mostly left their previous known living places in

Chinatown, Singapore Chinatown (, Yale: ''Ngàuhchēséui'', ms, Kreta Ayer, ta, சைனா டவுன்) is a subzone and ethnic enclave located within the Outram district in the Central Area of Singapore. Featuring distinctly Chinese cultural elements, ...

and only a few samsui women continued to work at constructions sites. The team approached the Sanshui clan association which the samsui women are part of. Interviews with them remained difficult as they refused to talk much about their past.

Release

Broadcast

The show runs from 6 May to 13 June 1986.

References

External links

Samsui Women on Toggle
Singapore Chinese dramas 1986 Singaporean television series debuts 1986 Singaporean television series endings 1980s Singaporean television series Channel 8 (Singapore) original programming {{Asia-tv-prog-stub