The mural takes up the whole side of the wall across the street from the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple which is in beautiful vibrant colors of a samsui lady smoking a cigarette (apparently taking a break) while sitting down. She also has a jade bracelet on her left hand and is holding a yellow and red piece of paper.
The samsui women were a group of Chinese immigrants who came to Malaysia and Singapore during 1920-1940s looking for construction and industrial jobs. Overall, a cool seemingly simple mural with a lot of background history.
CK C
5
One of many beautiful murals on our local heritage in Chinatown. This art piece illustrates a member of the Samsui women (Hong Tou Jin/Red Headscarf), who were hardworking construction workers responsible for building Singapore in the yesteryears. It is located on the same building as Ya Kun, just beside Maxwell MRT station.
Skye
5
Beautiful mural. One of many in Chinatown. Search for YipYewChong and u will find a guide to all the cool murals in Chinatown and other places in Singapore.
Gabriel Lim
5
One of the many interesting murals around the chinatown area. Please let the samsui lady enjoy her fag in peace SLA/URA. Don't make changes to the mural!
S Wun
5
Aug 2024: spotted this right outside the Maxwell MRT station when I wasn’t even searching for it! Didn’t realise it wraps around the corner. Will need to go again to admire the mural!
Avery Ling
5
Such a beautiful piece of art. This should absolutely be kept. Diversity should be embraced and encouraged, not feared and avoided just because we are worried about the samsui women's (and our) 'reputation'. It does not dishonor them in any way.
Just like a photo or a painting of one Singaporean* (replaceable with any noun) does not represent every Singaporean* out there.
Please, Singapore, be more open minded and less critical 🙏🏼 diversity is one of our biggest strengths.
Florence Leow
5
🟨 Mural of Samsui Woman
297 South Bridge Rd,
Singapore 058839
🟧 We walked past this famous Samsui Woman mural ( ➡️ which is at a shophouse building located just next to Maxwell MRT station).
❇️ This mural features a samsui woman of the past smoking a cigarette. 🤭 And it was the subject of a controversy involving the authorities and the owner of the building.
🔴 For me, I don't see anything wrong with the mural. ● Because when I was a child in the late 1960s and 1970s, the samsui women were seen smoking at times at the construction sites during their tea break periods.
🟨 That was the only small pleasure they had. Smoking was the thing they could do to alleviate the tough work they were handling in those days. ✅️ The samsui women actually carried heavy rocks and boulders on poles balanced between their shoulders.🔷️ That was incredibly hard work!
🙏🏻 My deep respect goes to the hundreds of Samsui women who built the Orchard Road hotels in the late 1960s and 1970s.
6627 Isaac
1
I struggle to reconcile the virtues of SSW and what this painting is trying to portray. SSW is well-known to be industrious and sacrificing their life under toil to support their family. Is it conceivable that one should strive to work so hard and simultaneously chip their earnings away with smoking? Not to mention negative health impacts, and that their ability to work would be affected. I am sure there were SSW who smoked, but is this the best way to honor our pioneers publicly?
Paul Young
5
Before any changes is made to it. Nothing wrong in my view. What is she holding on her hands? Great piece of art.
Cliona Yong
5
Really beautiful mural that brings colour and life to this small side road. It provokes you stop, admire, and then think! I hope it doesn’t need to be changed so that the artist’s original intent can be kept.