Morning sunlight streams through the window onto the workbench of a Suzhou intangible cultural heritage studio, where Master Liang Qiongfang guides students in crafting silk round fans. From extracting silk threads from cocoons to stretching the fan surface by hand, each step of this millennia-old craft embodies the meticulous dedication of artisans.
In the Song Dynasty, a student named Zhou Yu owned a round fan called "Junyu," whose exquisitely carved lacquer handle still amazes people today. From ancient times to the present, round fans in Chinese life have been not only practical objects but also elegant symbols of aesthetic taste and culture.
History and Cultural Significance
The history of round fans can be traced back over three thousand years to the Shang Dynasty. The earliest fans were made from colorful pheasant feathers, known as “zhangshan,” mainly used by emperors during outdoor inspections to block sun, wind, and dust, symbolizing authority rather than practicality.
During the Warring States period, a prototype of the round fan called “bianmian” appeared, shaped like a single-panel door, also known as “household fans.” These early fans were made of fine bamboo strips and were used by both royalty and commoners.
The Han Dynasty marked an important stage in the development of round fans. With advances in silk weaving, fan surfaces began to use fine white silk, as well as materials like satin and gauze. Their circular shape, resembling the full moon, gave them the name “round fans.”
During the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, fan shapes evolved into multi-sided designs such as oval, hexagonal, plum blossom, parasol leaf, and banana leaf. Fans in this era began to combine practicality with artistry, gradually becoming refined items for scholars and literati.
In the Song Dynasty, round fans reached an artistic peak. Fan surfaces featured themes of flowers, birds, landscapes, and stories. Emperor Huizong of Song even led the trend of painting fan surfaces, with works like Loquat and Mountain Bird fans surviving to this day.
The Beauty of Round Fans Beyond Their Shape
The charm of round fans lies first in their diverse forms. Beyond the common circular design, there are elongated circles, sunflower shapes, plum blossoms, crabapple shapes, and hexagons. Early fans favored circular and elongated shapes, while later fans evolved into more varied forms.
Ancient ladies often used round fans to partially conceal their faces, adding an element of graceful allure. Fans not only provided cooling but also offered a subtle way to shield oneself from view.
Round fans are crafted from a wide variety of materials. Fan surfaces use silk, satin, gauze, or even brocade and kesi (woven silk tapestry), often embellished with embroidery or hand painting. Fan handles are commonly made from wood, bamboo, or bone, but rare materials such as ivory, jade, tortoiseshell, and rhinoceros horn were also used. Decorative tassels, charms, gold and silver threads, gemstones, and pearls further enhance their elegance and presence.
| Component | Common Materials | Features & Function |
|---|---|---|
| Frame | Bamboo, wood, iron wire | Determines fan shape; requires splitting, heating, and shaping |
| Surface | Silk, satin, gauze, brocade, Xuan paper | Primary canvas for artistic decoration, including painting and embroidery |
| Handle | Bamboo, bone, ivory, jade, rosewood | Grasping part; material affects overall feel and value |
| Decorations | Tassels, pendants, trims | Enhance aesthetics; often made with silk ribbons, jewels, and beads |
Tuanshan Fan Meaning
The round fan—a companion of cool breezes as perfectly circular as the full moon—carries meanings both profound and tender, far beyond that of a mere tool for cooling oneself. Its most essential symbolism stems from its round shape, embodying the Chinese longing for reunion, harmony, and completeness, often serving as an auspicious gift in weddings to bless the newlyweds with a harmonious and fulfilled life.
Yet within the context of classical poetry and painting, the round fan is deeply intertwined with the destiny of women. In the Han Dynasty, Ban Jieyu wrote, “I always fear the arrival of autumn, when the cool wind steals away the summer heat,” making the image of the abandoned autumn fan a classic metaphor for fleeting beauty and severed affections. Thus, the round fan carries a lingering trace of melancholy and solitude.
For scholars and literati, the fan surface was a miniature spiritual world: a landscape here, a few strokes of orchids or bamboo there, expressing their aspirations for a life close to nature and a character that remains unyielding like the wind. It became an extension of their personal virtues. From ceremonial fans that demonstrated imperial authority to elegant fans held by cultured ladies, the materials and craftsmanship silently signified social status.
Today, the round fan has transformed into a symbol of intangible cultural heritage and Eastern aesthetics, elegantly carrying with it millennia of emotion, philosophy, and beauty. As it sways gently, it continues to convey its timeless grace, quietly entering the eyes and hearts of modern audiences.
Tuanshan Fan How To Use
The use of the round fan embodies a classical art of living that seamlessly blends practicality, etiquette, and refined aesthetic taste. It is not merely a tool for catching a breeze and keeping cool, but also a silent expression of social status and cultivation in formal or social settings.
In ancient times, ladies of the court would hold a round fan, lightly swaying it to dispel the summer heat. With the fan partially concealing their delicate faces, they conveyed a subtle grace and modesty, creating the iconic Eastern aesthetic of “holding the pipa while half-covering the face.” Scholars and literati would inscribe poems or paint on plain fan surfaces, either to demonstrate elegance in their own hands or to gift friends as tokens of sentiment, turning the fan into a flowing “refined accessory of the sleeve.”
In formal ceremonies, round fans also served as markers of rank and status. Large ceremonial fans were used in royal processions to project authority, while women of the inner chambers would shield their faces with fans during outings, in accordance with the etiquette of “walking without revealing skirts, smiling without showing teeth.” Furthermore, round fans played a special role in traditional weddings: a bride would perform the que fan ritual—lowering the fan that covers her face when meeting the groom—symbolizing completeness and good fortune.
Today, whether on the stage of Chinese opera, during traditional festivals, or at Hanfu events, people hold round fans not only to recreate the charm of ancient times but also to experience a classical aesthetic of life that harmonizes motion and stillness, body and mind.
Tuanshan Types
| Type | Core Materials & Craftsmanship | Key Features & Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Silk Palace Fan (Mainstream Classic) | Fan surface made of plain silk or silk fabrics such as satin, gauze, or organza, with bamboo or wooden handles; often decorated with painting or embroidery. | The most classic and representative form of the round fan; light and elegant, historically used by imperial courts and ladies of the inner chambers. Embodies the poetic imagery of “a silk fan brushing the fireflies.” |
| Silk Weaving Fan (Modern Intangible Heritage) | Fan surface crafted from fine silk weaving (liangjuan), with meticulous techniques such as sizing and edge binding; recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. | Firm in texture, with exquisite artwork; an important heritage craft in regions like Suzhou and Hangzhou. Often used as high-end gifts or collectible art pieces. |
| Paper Round Fan (Literati Elegance) | Fan surface made of Xuan paper or durable craft paper, designed for direct painting or calligraphy by scholars. | Serves as a medium for spontaneous artistic creation and emotional expression. Its casual artistic style complements the meticulous silk-painted fans. |
| Bamboo Woven Fan (Fresh & Natural) | Fan surface woven from fine bamboo strips, creating natural geometric patterns; frame and handle often carved from a single piece of bamboo. | Simple, natural, and handcrafted in appearance; reflects pastoral or Zen-inspired aesthetics. |
| Feather Fan (Luxurious & Ancient Style) | Made from dyed feathers of peacocks, cranes, pheasants, attached to the fan frame. | Originating from the ancient “feather fan,” it is colorful, fluffy, and luxurious; historically used in noble ceremonies or as dance props. |
| Modern Innovative Designs | Incorporates a mix of materials such as metal or acrylic; design may include abstract patterns or IP collaborations. |
Breaks traditional forms; functionality (e.g., glow-in-the-dark, mosquito-repellent) and aesthetics cater to modern lifestyles and young consumers. |
Masterful Craftsmanship: A Millennia-Old Art
Creating a round fan involves intricate and delicate steps, including preparing the fan surface, baking the frame, crafting the handle, mounting the surface, and adding tassels. Suzhou fan-making (specifically, silk palace fan craftsmanship) is recognized as an intangible cultural heritage representative of Suzhou City.
Fan-making requires exceptional skill and patience. For example, a silk fan involves six key processes: selecting materials, dyeing, sizing, cutting, mounting, and trimming. Each traditional silk fan takes 3–4 working days to complete. Surface decorations may include painting, embroidery, or kesi techniques, with Suzhou artisans even developing a “double-sided different painting” technique, showing different designs on each side without ink bleeding.
The Song Dynasty “Junyu” round fan exemplifies ancient artisans’ exquisite craftsmanship: an oval fan surface, a fine wooden rod as an axis, moon-shaped supports on both sides, and bamboo ribs as fine as horsehair.
Round Fans in Literature and Art
Round fans hold a special place in Chinese literature and art, serving as carriers of sentiment for scholars and poets. As early as the Han Dynasty, Ban Jieyu wrote in Yuan Ge Xing:
"Newly cut Qi silk, pure and bright like frost and snow. Crafted into a Hehuan fan, round like the full moon."
A fan, pure as snow and as round as the moon, became a poetic symbol for expressing emotions.
During the Song Dynasty, round fans became more accessible and commercialized. Song poetry contains over 100 references to round fans. Su Shi wrote in He Xin Lang:
"Playing with white silk round fan, the hand moves like jade."
Yan Jidao wrote in Jie Pei Ling:
"Autumn feelings on the jade steps, years quietly pass. Concealing in the deep palace, the round fan has no end."
In traditional Chinese painting, round fans are also significant. Tang dynasty figure paintings frequently feature women holding round fans—emphasizing elegance, status, or emotion. Works like Beating the Silk, Ladies with Flower Hairpins, Han Xizai Night Banquet, and Fans in Hand all depict the presence of round fans as an important cultural motif.
Modern Inheritance and Innovation
In recent years, with the revival of traditional culture, round fans have re-entered modern life. Handmade intangible heritage has become a “stress relief trend” among urban youth. Fan-making, requiring concentration and precision, helps modern people stabilize and relieve stress.
Master Liang Qiongfang has held four public intangible heritage workshops in Yulin, including silk round fan crafting, attended mainly by participants aged 18–40. These young people are carrying the torch of cultural heritage, injecting fresh energy into creative transformation and innovative development.
Modern round fans have also undergone innovation. In summer 2024, sales of silk fans increased 240% year-on-year, with consumers aged 25–35 accounting for 58%. Contemporary designs incorporate geometric patterns and collaborations with animation IPs. Functionally, new fans include sandalwood mosquito-repellent handles and LED night-light versions.
Craftsmanship has also been refined: CNC laser cutting achieves precision of 0.1 mm. In 2023, Dunhuang Flying Apsaras themed silk fans were presented as national gifts to cultural attachés of multiple countries, with batch custom orders reaching 3,000 fans.
On a weekend afternoon at a café market in Yulin, a 90s-born Ms. Peng experiences making a silk round fan. As white silk threads are pulled and wrapped around the fan frame, she feels time itself slow down in that moment.
Young people like her are bringing this three-thousand-year-old fan-making craft into contemporary life and aesthetics in entirely new ways.
From the Shang and Zhou “zhangshan” to the Han silk fan, from Song painted fans to Ming and Qing palace fans, and now to modern young people’s “stress relief companions,” the round fan remains like a crescent moon, illuminating the Chinese pursuit of beauty and life through the ages.
