Samsui women, or Hong Tou Jin (红头巾; Mandarin for ‘red headscarf’) are a group of Chinese female immigrants who came to Singapore in search of labour work between the 1920s and 1940s. These women originated from the Sanshui district of modern-day Guangdong. Their contributions led to the development of the Straits Settlements, earning them recognition and commemoration in art and literature today.

The red cloth used to make the headpiece was starched until it became stiff, then it was folded into a square form. The choice of red was based on its eye-catching quality and lowered the likelihood of accidents occurring on the construction site.

Apart from shielding the women from the sun and keeping their hair tidy (as they only wash it once a month), the hat also functioned as a place to stash things like money, matches, and cigarettes.

Samsui women wore dark blue or black Samfu (also spelled samfoo) made of coarse cotton because it didn’t stain easily and could handle tough wear. 

This style of clothing was popular for everyday wear in their homeland, made from various materials, including luxurious silks and satins as well as hemp.

Their thrifty lifestyles led them to wear sandals made from old tires with straps. Since most of the old tires were threadless, they had to be careful walking on smooth or wet surfaces. However, this wasn't much of a problem because they mostly worked on rough terrain.