TheFanCulture
FansarepopularamongallsegmentsoftheChinesepeople,fromemperorsandmenofletterstoordinarypeople.Differentkindsoffansservedasindicatorsofstatus.Forexample,menofletterspreferredfoldingfans;militarystrategistsandTaoistpriestspreferredfeatherfans;girlsofnoblefamilieslikedcircularfanswhileordinarypeopleusuallyusedpalmleaffans.
Thereasonfansevolvedfromanaccessorytoanartworkislargelyrelatedtomenofletters,wholikedtousefansascanvasesforartworkorforwritingpoetry,andpresentedthemtotheirfriendsasacommemorativeitem.Therefore,theypursuedbetterdecorationoffans,eventuallyleadingtofansemerg-ingasartworkthatcombinedvariousformsofartssuchaspoems,calligraphy,painting,en-graving,andembroidery.
Ithasbeenpopulartodrawfansorwritepoemsaboutfans,andpaintorwriteonpaperfans.ThereisastoryaboutWangXizhi(303-361),whoisbestknownforhismasteryofChi-nesecalligraphy.HeisregardedasoneofthegreatestChinesecalligraphersinhistoryandhisworkshaveexertedafar-reachinginfluenceonfuturegenerations.However,itisapityhisworkswerelostandonlythereplicasintheTangDynasty(618-907)havebeenpreservedtilltoday.ItissaidthatonceWangsawanelderlyladysellingfans.Asitwastheendofthesummer,businesswasnotsogood.Shelookedveryupset,soWangdecidedtohelpher.Hewroteafewcharactersoneachfanandtoldtheoldwomantoraisetheprice.OnseeingcalligraphybyWangonthosefans,peopleallcompetedtobuythem,whichthensoldoutveryquickly.
IthasbeenpopulartopaintonfanssincetheTangDynasty,anditbecameevenmorepopularduringtheSongandYuandynasties(960-1368).ArtworkonfansisalsoauniquegenreofChinesepainting.Asspaceislimited,thepaintersneedtopaycloseatten-tiontothecompositioninthehalf-circlefan,sothecreationofelegantanduniqueimageryorsceneryrequiresextraskillandprecision.AGongfanwithanimageoftheGoddessoftheLuoheRiver.Forthousandsofyears,theChinesepeopleneverstoppedinnovatingfandesignandmanufacturing,adoptingdifferentmaterialssuchasbamboo,palmtreeleaves,wood,paper,feather,silk,bone,andsandalwood,andmadefansofvariousshapes,suchascircular,square,oval,flowerpetals,orhexagonalshapes.
Today,mostpeopleuseelectricfansandairconditionersforcooling,butinmanyplaces,especiallyamongtheelderly,stillseeapreferencefortraditionalfans.Serenitycomestomindwhenpicturingagoldenhuedsummereveningasmothersfantheirinfantswiththesoundsofchildrenrunningaroundechoinginthestreetsandwomenbrandishingtheirfansinelegantdancesinthepublicsquare.
WovenBambooStripFans
FansmadeofwovenbamboostripsfromSichuanProvincewereinventedbytheGongfamily,thusnamedGongFans.Withahistoryofoveracentury,thecraftsmanshiphasbeenpasseddowntothefifthgenerationheirs.
ThecreatorwasGongJuewu,whodisplayedingenuitysinceyoungage.Besidesdoingfarmwork,hemadesomeaccessoriesfordailyusewithbamboostripsandsoldthemtoaugmenthisincome.SummerinSichuanisscorchinghot,sohemadesomebamboofanswhichwerepopularamongconsumers.Onceittookoff,hejustfocusedonthefanbusiness.Hesawsomebambooaccessoriesbearingcharactersandpatternswithauspiciousmeanings,whichinspiredhimtousesimilarpatternsandiconographyonhisfans.Throughtrialanderror,hefinallywovedifferentpatternsonhisfansbyutilizingthecolorvariationsofthetwosidesofbamboostrips.Hecontinuedtoimprovehisworksbymakingbamboostripsthinner,sothealternatingpatternsonthefansbecamemoreexquisiteandintricate.GongFansareusuallypeach-shaped,withawidthof20-centimeters,amosobambooedge,ahandlemadeofox-boneorjade,andpatternsofflowersonthefansurface.
GongYuzhang,sonofGongJuewu,isthesecondgenerationheirofGongFans,whofurtherimproveduponandpromotedtheirproducts.Hemanagedtoweavescenesofmountainsandrivers,humanfigures,flowersandbirds,fishandinsects,aswellasChinesecalligraphy.OnceabusinessmanbroughtapicturetoGong,onwhichwasaChinesebeautywithhalfherfacehiddenbehindatransparentfan.ThebusinessmanwantedGongtoweavethescenetoshowthegradations.Gong,byutilizingthedifferentthicknessanddensityofweavingbamboostrips,vividlyrecreatedthepictureofthebeautybehindthefan.Sincethen,hisreputationskyrocketed.SomeseniorofficialsandeminentpersonagesinvitedGongtotheirhousestomakehistrademarkfansforthem.
TomakeaGongfaninvolvesacomplicatedprocess.Aspecialkindofone-year-oldlocalbambooisselectedasrawmaterial,sothatthebamboostripsprocessedwithspecialtoolsarecrystallineandabitglossy.Thematerialpreparationisallaboutmanualwork,withthehelpofonlyaknife.Theproceduresincludeweavingthepatternandtheedge,aswellasgluingcertainparts.Thefansurfaceisasthinasacicada鈥檚wings,soitisverylight.Manypeoplewouldmistakenlyassumeitismadeofcottonthreads.
Thecrucialstepistomakebamboostrips.Thethinnerthestrips,theclearerandmorelife-likethepatternsare.GongYuzhanginventedasetoftools,withwhichhecanmakehairthinbamboostrips,andfeather-likebamboostripsthatcanbeusedtomakefluffysparrowsatdifferentages.Sometimeshepokeddotsonthethinstripstoformhumaneyebrows.Healsouseddifferentcolorsofbamboostripstodealwithlightingandshade.Thepicturesonthefansincludenaturalscenery,birds,animals,andflowers,alllookvividandlife-like.
GongDaoyong,thefourth-generationinheritor,furthershrankthethicknessofbamboostripsfrom0.025millimeterto0.01-0.015millimeterandthewidthdownby30percent.ChenZifu,whowasbornintoafan-makingfamilyinRongchang,promotesthetraditionaltechniqueofmakingRongchangfoldingfans.Thatmeansthebamboostripisastoundinglyoneseventhofhumanhair.Thusthefansurfaceiseventhinnerandshowsasemitransparenteffect.GongDaoyong鈥檚daughterandniecearethefifth-generationinheritorsofGongFans.TheyassertthatthesecretforkeepingtheGongFanspopularistheconstantstrivingforperfection.
In2008,thecraftsmanshipofmakingGongFanswasdesignatedanationalintangibleculturalheritage.
FoldingFans
ThefoldingfansmadeinRongchang,adistrictofChongqingMunicipality,arepopulararoundthecountryfortheiruniquedesign,sophisticatedcraftsmanship,well-chosenrawmaterials,andlightweight.BecauseChongqingusedtobeundertheadministrationofSichuanProvince,theRongchangfoldingfansarealsocalledChuanFans.
ThehistoryofRongchangfoldingfanscanbetracedbacktotheSongDynasty(960-1279).DuringMingEmperorYongle鈥檚reign(1402-1424),theRongchangfanswereproducedonalargescale,makingRongchangoneofthethreelargestplacesforfanmakinginthecountry,withover10,000fineRongchangfansbeingofferedtoimperialcourteveryyear.BythemiddletolateperiodoftheQingDynasty(1644-1911),thedevelopmentofRongchangfanssawaswitchfromfamily-ownedshopstoprofessionalproduction.In1842,anindustrialassociationforRongchangfanswasestablished,withaimstouniteproducers,expandproductionscale,andimprovemanagementandcraftsmanshiptoboosttheoveralldevelopmentofRongchangfans.BythelateQingDynasty,Rongchanghadover200fan-makingshopsandmorethan2,000employees,withanannualoutputoffourmillionfoldingfans.
TheproductionofaRongchangfaninvolvesintensemanualworkofaround145procedures,includingdying,gluing,painting,engraving,andinlayingwork.
However,withelectricfansandairconditionersbecomingpopular,thetraditionalRongchangfoldingfanfacesobsolescence.Insuchadilemma,ChenZifu,whowasbornintoafan-makingfamilyinRongchang,startedtoseekinnovation.
Traditionallythesurfaceoffoldingfansismadeofpaperorsilk,butChenchoselocal-maderamiefabric,whichfeaturessimplebutelegantcolorsandalittletoughandrigidtexture.ThroughtrialanderrorandbyborrowingtechniquesofmountingapaintingonaframefortraditionalChinesecalligraphyandpaintings,Chencreatedhisownramiefabricfans,whichturnedouttobeverypopularonthemarket.
Ontheoccasionthatcelebratedthe50thanniversaryofthefoundingofthePeople鈥檚RepublicofChina,Chendesignedandmadeasetofcommemorativefans,withvarioustechniquesadopted,suchaspyrography,coloreddrawing,andincising.ThesetoffanshavemadethetraditionalRongchangfoldingfansknowntomorepeople.
ThenewtechniquehasbroughtChengoodfortune,yetheiswillingtoshareitwithhispeersbyinvitingthemtohisstudioandelaboratingontheproductionprocessforthem,ashewantsmoreandmorepeopletomasterthetechniqueandincreasetheproductionoframiefabricfans.HebelievesexpandedproductionandanenrichedvarietyofdesignswillsurelyboostthereputationofRongchangfoldingfans,thusbringingaboutnewdevelopmentopportunitiesandgrowthprospects.In2008,thecraftsmanshipofmakingRongchangfoldingfanwasaddedtothelistofnationalintangibleculturalheritage.C
(CompiledbyChinaToday)