Samsui Women Enjoying the First MRT Ride at Bishan 1987
On 7 November 1987, the Bishan station opened. Three Samsui women who worked on the station for 4 years, were given the day off. An MRT engineer bought them tickets to join the crowd to ride the train. Samsui women were female immigrants from Canton's Sanshui district who were manual labourers. Their distinctive red headgear served to prevent accidents on construction sites, and had the added benefit of being a small storage space for small items such as cigarettes.
