Chinese fan culture originated in ancient times. During the scorching summer, our ancestors hunted plant leaves or bird feathers and simply processed them to block the sun and attract wind. Therefore, fans are called sun shields. This is the original origin of the fan.
Fans have a history of three to four thousand years in our country. After thousands of years of evolution and improvement, they have developed into hundreds of fan families, but they are generally classified into two categories; a flat fan (that is, a flat fan) Tuan fan, sunflower fan, wheat straw fan, jade fan, etc.) cannot be folded; two-fold fans can be opened and folded freely.
The flat fan comes from the barrier fan (palm fan) 箑 (a fan made of woven bamboo pieces in ancient times was called a 箑). During the Warring States, Qin and Han Dynasties, a semicircular-shaped instant noodle was shaped like a single door, so it was also called a household fan. The single door fan could cover the face and peek, and became the mainstream of fans at that time. Instant noodles are always made of thin bamboo strips and are used by emperors and common people alike. During the Western Han Dynasty, it was called the Hehuan Fan (also known as the Palace Fan, Wan Fan, and Tuan Fan). Its shape was round. The Hehuan Fan was characterized by its plain white surface, with the fan handle as the central axis, and its left and right symmetry like a full moon. The Wan Fan was framed by bamboo wood. The dough is made into a round or oval shape and is pasted with thin silk. At that time, the Wan fans made in the Central Plains area were the most sophisticated. There was a theory of Qi Wan Chu Bamboo, which refers to Wan fans made of Shandong silk and Hunan bamboo. This kind of Wan fan was very popular in the Han Dynasty, and poems were written to praise it, such as Ban Jie's fan poem. .
After the emergence of this symmetrical round fan, it has been used throughout the generations and has become a traditional style of fan in my country. By the Qing Dynasty, in addition to circles, symmetrical fans included oblong, oblate, square, plum blossom, sunflower, melon, waist, and horseshoe shapes... The outstanding features of these fan shapes are symmetry, lightness, and craftsmanship. powerful.
The folding fan, in ancient times, was called the gathering-head fan, or the scattering fan, or the folding fan. It is named after its two heads can be merged into one when folded.
In the Southern Song Dynasty, the production of folding fans had reached considerable scale. Folding fans became popular in the Ming Dynasty. The emperor ordered palace craftsmen to imitate Korean fans and absorb foreign craftsmanship to promote the development of domestic fans. The Ming and Qing Dynasties were the heyday of folding fan development. The materials used are precious, and the fan bones are made of ivory, tortoise shell, and chicken wing wood. They are exquisitely made. The large edges of the ivory bones are carved and finely carved. The large edges of the mahogany and bird wood bones are inlaid with various patterns with silver wire drills. The edges of the lacquered bone are The large sides of the fan bones are inlaid with snails or carved with lacquer. The large sides of the fan bones include Ruyi head, piano type, mantis leg type, water wave type, etc. The fan heads include bottle type, water chestnut head, olive head, magnolia head, square head, round head, goldfish head, etc. It is a special art form that uses the skill and ingenuity of master painters to lay out the landscape, flowers, birds, or the dynamics of characters on a fan that is less than a square foot, showing the beauty of emotion and charm.
The fan surface has fine sprinkling of gold (rain gold), snow gold, plaid scarf, hairpin, old alum surface, mud gold surface, etc. These fans have become the place for calligraphers and painters to use their brushes and splashes of ink to leave a legacy for future generations. Precious calligraphy treasure. The "Panasonic Reading Picture" painted on the fan by Emperor Xuande Zhu Zhanji of the Ming Dynasty is regarded as a rare treasure.
Among the folding fans are Ma Yuan black paper fans specially used by monks. The Heart Sutra, Golden Gang Sutra, and Boluo Ruo Sutra are written on the fan with real gold powder, and there are also paintings on Buddhist cultural themes such as Eighteen Arhats, Guanyin, Red Boy, Amitabha Buddha, and Jigong.
Fans contain rich cultural connotations. Throughout the ages, fans have been closely associated with people's daily lives. A small fan has not only become an exquisite handicraft that combines practical and aesthetic values, but also has many fan stories, legends and anecdotes, such as " Su Dongpo painted a fan and closed the case", "The poor Taoist priest in Fan Lane repairs the fan", "The Jade Boy's Adventures with a Falling Fan", "Inscription on the Fan Bridge", "Kangxi Inscription on the Fan", "The Fan Announces Good News", as well as the legend of Yang Renfeng, and Tagore's gift Fan-inscribed poems and other poems all reflect the cultural connotation of the fan. Thousands of years of fan culture has accumulated many fan poems, fan lyrics, fan couplets and fan riddles. Fans are closely related to stage art. There have always been graceful fan dances. Fans can play a role in fitness. Fan plays with fans as their names or as matchmakers include "Peach Blossom Fan", "Agarwood Fan" and "Panana Fan". Fans As props on the stage, use fan movements to express various props on the stage or express the character of the characters. Fans have also formed a fan custom. In some rural areas in the south of the Yangtze River in my country, there is a custom of giving fans to each other among relatives and friends during the Dragon Boat Festival. The fan also serves as a token of engagement.
The fan is a bond of friendship. Since the Tang Dynasty, fans have been given as gifts to neighboring countries, and each other sent ambassadors to carry out fan cultural exchanges. Until today, central, provincial and municipal leaders use fans as gifts when they visit foreign countries.
Fans have gradually developed into art objects. Nowadays, the artistic value of fans has been greatly improved, and they have become pets for collectors.
During the Southern Song Dynasty, fan production was on a large scale. Various fans of different materials and types were manufactured in various regions according to local conditions, forming unique styles in each region. The more famous ones include Sichuan fan, Su fan, Yuezhou fan, Ao fan, Jinling fan, etc., among which Hangzhou fan is the most famous.
Hangzhou fans occupy a special place in fan culture, and Hangzhou has always been the fan-making center in the country. Hangzhou fans have a long history and novel styles. According to historical records, Hangzhou fans were famous in the Northern Song Dynasty and developed in the Southern Song Dynasty. After the Song Dynasty moved its capital to Lin'an (Hangzhou), fan-making technology developed, and fans became an important industry that decorated the prosperous new capital of the Southern Song Dynasty. Celebrities, artists, and skilled craftsmen gathered together. The more than one kilometer long Fan Alley in the city was where fan-making workshops and shops concentrated in those days. (Song Dynasty and Wu Zimu's "Meng Liang Lu" records: Hangzhou streets are full of business day and night, and there are all kinds of fans. Hangzhou fans are as famous as silk and tea, and are regarded as the three unique products of Hangzhou.)
Fans are known to be famous. Hangzhou Wang Xingji Fan Store (the predecessor of the current Wang Xingji Fan Industry Co., Ltd.), known as the Central Business Center, was founded in 1875 AD during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty by Wang Xingzhai, a famous fan maker. Using the Samsung trademark and working hard, he and his wife Chen Ying created black paper fans with gold sprinkles, lacquered gold and appliqués. The craftsmanship was exquisite and the designs and colors were new. They became the main tribute to Hangzhou. In 1929, the Hangzhou Wang Xingji black paper fan won the gold medal at the West Lake Exposition and spread throughout the capital, so fans from Hangzhou Wang Xingji Fan Store replaced the Hangzhou fans.
After several storms and sorrows, Hangzhou Wang Xingji has gone through more than 130 spring and autumn years. In the process of inheritance, development and growth, it has built up its traditional craftsmanship, rich varieties and high-quality brands. It has created a colorful "Fan Kingdom" and become the only comprehensive time-honored fan manufacturer in the country. The black paper fan known as "a fan and half an umbrella", the fragrant sandalwood fan that retains the fragrance, the elegant and dignified white paper fan, the beautiful fine silk fan, and the extraordinary hanging fan , graceful silk dancing fans, cheap and high-quality fragrant wood fans...
National Arts and Crafts Hundred Flowers Award Silver Cup Award, Gold Cup Award, Creative Design Award, National Quality Product Award, West China Expo Gold and Silver Award, Provincial Tourism Gold and silver awards in product design competitions, etc... one after another, these honors come one after another, inspiring a generation of fan makers to shoulder the heavy responsibility of fan making. In the economic wave of reform and opening up, young fan factory workers will seize opportunities, forge ahead, create new mechanisms, new systems, and new varieties, so that Wang Xingji Fans, the "Pearl of the Art Garden," will contribute to the advancement of traditional culture in the kingdom of art. Arts and crafts career will always shine!