The majie were Cantonese amahs from the district of the Pearl River Delta in south China where they followed the custom to vow to resist marriage. Being called zishunu (spinsters), many of these single women worked at filatures after silk industry flourished in the Delta till the 1930s when it declined. They then moved to Canton, Hong Kong, Macao, and southeast Asia and became domestic servants. The content of this Archive mainly covers open-end in-depth interviews, field surveys, and supplementary materials collected afterwards on the last generation of the majie in Hong Kong. From 2018 to 2020, project participants conducted interviews and fieldwork, worked on the transcripts, and finalized the list of interviewees who agreed to have their interviews kept in the electronic archives in the Library Systems of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Nine of our interviewees have given us their consents. Among them there are eight aged majie who retired years ago and one former “young master” who was looked after by a majie upon birth till he studied overseas. Here may we sincerely express our hearty appreciation to all interviewees who kindly accepted our interviews!
This Archive includes both the sound recording of interviews and transcripts. The latter are written in the vernacular, instead of dialects, for the convenience of those who have difficulties in grasping colloquialism. It is however understood that the sound recording of interviews is the most original material. Our substantial interviews have a very wide scope recording the life histories of our interviewees. Relevant themes include their family background (the trend of the times, life experience, etc.), childhood (hometown, childhood education, child labour, etc.), juvenile, youth, and prime of life (“comb up the hair,” i.e., remain single; support for the family, work away from home, overseas experience, influence of war, experience and decision to stay in Hong Kong, jobs (wages, work, employers, etc.), support for the family (hometown, family members, hometown visits, sisterhood (the majie of the same trade, townsfolk, friends, etc.), vacations and after-work activities (interests, hobbies, entertainments, going to the theatre, “coolie rooms,” “bidding,” clothing and hair style (coiffure), self-education experience, religious belief (obeisance, worship, view of fate/destiny, etc.), and life after retirement (health condition, housing, vegetarian halls, real estate [landed property/estate]).
Listed above are the main content of our interviews, including some fifty themes. Some individual peculiar materials in the archive are not listed here. It is worth point out here however that this archive includes the oral record of a male interviewee. He, as a “young master” being taken utmost care of by his amah, had a very close relationship with his care taker. The story concerned was made into a movie and he also published a book on the subject. One of the project leaders had the chance to interview a few former “young masters” overseas and was impressed by their love and profound memories of their amahs from China. In view of the importance of this kind of materials which are precious in the field of the “history of the emotions”, we specially create a peculiar theme, i.e., “Reflections of a Care Receiver” in the archive to cover these particular contents, as a distinguishing feature of this project. Though rarely preserved in writing, evidences have appeared in field investigations testifying to this kind of extraordinary memories cherished by the former “young masters.” An overseas museum does deeply impress its visitors by producing a touching video record on a Caucasian gentleman’s dearly reminiscences of his former amah from south China.
Materials collected by this archive include records and transcripts of nine interviewees as well as photographs, including one from an interviewee and several from other sources. These archival materials will contribute to a better understanding of the phenomenon of the relationship between the majie and the historical custom of “sworn spinsterhood” in south China and its development and change, as well as the saga of single women working aboard and its historical significance. We expect that our project can supplement the discussion on the “last generation of the Cantonese ‘majie’,” a term that has appeared in recent years, especially in terms of the situation concerning Hong Kong, in contrast to other regions. For the majie who left their native places in the early years of their life, what did their experiences of migration for work mean to their life? This is what we yearn to understand. As for their decisions to stay in Hong Kong after retirement, as well as the issues of their social status and sense of identity, these crucial subject matters are worth further analysis in depth while consulting local source materials. As interviews and inquiries are conducive for the subject to speak and bring breakthroughs to the research, we look forward to the contribution of our archive in this regard.
In addition to our interviewees, we heartily appreciate the following people and institutions for their support, advice, arrangement, assistance, and encouragement:
United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia
Hong Kong Young Women's Christian Association
Sin Tin Toa Home for the Aged
St. James’ Settlement
Cynthia Muak and John Morris (China-expats.com)
Sing Tao Daily
Hong Kong Institute of Asia Pacific Studies
The Chinese University of Hong Kong University Library
Project research assistants
With appreciation,
Project Leaders: Yip Hon Ming (History Department, CUHK) and Sally Ka-wing Lo (Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, CUHK)
September 2021
Note: Our banner adopts the logo of jasmine based on the general impression that zishunu/majie liked to adorn their hair with jasmine or white magnolia.
