Fanning a love of Chinese fans

A visitor takes photos of Chinese tuanshan fans exhibited in May in Guilin city, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. [Photo provided to China Daily]

It was approaching the height of summer and work at Huang Shuofu's factory was also heating up, with more than 20 employees rushing to fill orders for his local specialty product — Chinese tuanshan fans.

The task at hand was particularly pressing this time because they were making tuanshan exports for an international luxury fashion brand, which specifically requested about 7,000 custom-made versions of the traditional handicraft.

"Our fans have always symbolized Chinese culture and heritage, prized as works of art," said Huang, 78.

The popularity of tuanshan can be traced to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220). The round fans resemble a full moon, signifying auspicious union and happiness. Their use extended beyond being tools for dealing with scorching summers to reflect high status and taste.

Huang himself is a fourth-generation master craftsman of the fans, which are traditionally made with bamboo that grow abundantly in his hometown in Guilin city of South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

He has won major accolades at home and abroad for his work in preserving and promoting tuanshan as intangible cultural heritage. In 2013, he was asked to craft two fans adorned with ethnic Zhuang embroidery to be presented to then-UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, who was visiting China at that time.

Huang's fans are still made the traditional way, with bamboo strips and sticks for frames and handles assembled by hand. Paper, silk and cloth on which paintings, calligraphy, embroidery and other designs complete the product.

He is also constantly innovating and adding features to his creations, such as a distinctive ring-ribbed base to connect the fan frame to its handle.