The Sea’s Daughters: How Fujian’s Three Iconic Fishing Women Became Global Cultural Treasures

In January 2023, Chinese actress Zhao Liying stunned the internet with a photoshoot for Shang Cheng Shi magazine. Her head was crowned with a halo of fresh jasmine and chrysanthemums—an intricate floral headdress worn by the Xunpu women of Fujian. Within weeks, the XunpuHair trended globally, drawing celebrities like Huang Shengyi and Wang Bingbing to the once-sleepy fishing village. Today, Xunpu’s streets buzz with tourists eager to replicate the look, while local women—who once sold oysters by the docks—now earn $1,000 a month teaching visitors to weave flowers into their hair.

This is the power of Fujian’s Three Great Fishing Women: the Hui’an, Xunpu, and Meizhou women. More than cultural symbols, they are living storytellers of a maritime legacy that shaped Southeast Asia’s trade routes and continues to redefine heritage tourism.

Hui’an Women: the Phoenixes of the Coast

“Fengjian tou, minzhu du, jieyue shan, langfei ku.”

(“Fengjian head, democratic belly, thrifty shirt, wasteful pants.”)This local rhyme captures the paradox of Hui’an women’s iconic attire. Their outfits—born from practicality—are a visual symphony of contradictions:

The “Fengjian Head”: A vibrant floral scarf and bamboo hat designed to shield against coastal winds.

The “Democratic Belly”: A cropped blouse revealing the midriff symbolizes prosperity (the navel, qí, homonyms with “wealth” in Hokkien).

The “Wasteful Pants”: Billowy indigo trousers, twice as wide as standard pants, allowing freedom to wade through tides.

But the true showstopper is the silver belt—a 1.5kg chain worn by married women. “Carrying this weight reminds us of our strength,” says Lin Meili, a 68-year-old oyster farmer in Chongwu Town. Her belt, inherited from her grandmother, clinks rhythmically as she shucks shellfish—a sound echoing centuries of matriarchal resilience.

In 2006, Hui’an attire gained UNESCO Intangible Heritage status, but its soul lies in legends. Locals whisper that Hui’an women descend from a mythical carp who fled the Dragon King, transforming into humans who “dress like butterflies to honor the sea.” Today, their image graces Chinese postage stamps, and their stone-carving skills brought Singapore’s Thian Hock Keng Temple into being.

Xunpu Women: Walking Flower Gardens

Step into Xunpu Village to smell the air humming with jasmine. Here, grandmothers in floral headdresses sell oyster omelets while teaching visitors to craft "zanhua wei"（簪花尾）—a crown-like hairstyle using fresh blooms.

Why use fresh flowers? The tradition traces to the Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE), when Arab traders brought fragrant plants like jasmine to Quanzhou. Xunpu women adopted them, weaving blossoms into hair to honor the sea goddess Mazu. A single headdress can hold 200 flowers, each layer symbolizing blessings: white for purity, red for joy, and yellow for prosperity.

But Xunpu’s magic extends beyond hairstyles. The village’s oyster-shell houses (ke cuo)—built with 10,000+ oyster shells per wall—are engineering marvels. These shells came from Arab ships' ballas. They’re insulation against typhoons—and proof of our Silk Road past.

In 2023, Xunpu’s “flower power” transformed its economy: tourism revenue jumped 300%, with homestays charging $100/night. Yet locals remain grounded. “We’ll never stop wearing zanhua,” says 82-year-old Huang Aying, whose floral crown has attracted photographers from Vogue. “These flowers are our ancestors’ whispers.”

Meizhou Women: Keepers of the Goddess’s Legacy

On Meizhou Island, 50km south of Xunpu, women don a hairstyle unchanged since the 12th century: the Mazu Bun (fanchuan tou). Resembling a ship’s sail, it’s pinned with 12 silver hairpins (representing anchors) and red ribbons (ropes)—a tribute to Mazu, the sea goddess worshipped by 200 million worldwide.

Mazu’s birthday usually falls in April or May, and then the island erupts in crimson. Thousands of women would parade in unison, balancing offerings on bamboo poles—a spectacle UNESCO calls “intangible cultural heritage”. Yet Meizhou’s legacy isn’t frozen in time. In 2022, the world-known designer Guo Pei(郭培）reimagined the Mazu Bun for Paris Fashion Week, pairing it with holographic fabrics. “Tradition isn’t a museum piece,” says Guo. “It’s a language that evolves.”

However, the Fujian fishing women aren’t just photogenic—they’re cultural innovators bridging past and future: They in some way lead the economic revival, for now Xunpu’s flower economy rivals its oyster trade, while Hui’an’s silver belts inspire luxury jewelry lines. Most importantly, the gender of female was redefined—these communities challenged the stereotypes, celebrating women as breadwinners, artists, and spiritual leaders.