xi's moments
Home | Heritage

Fanning the love of Chinese art

Tuanshan is a handicraft that embraces tradition and innovation, Alexis Hooi and Zhang Li report in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

By Alexis Hooi and Zhang Li | China Daily | Updated: 2025-01-16 09:14

Students from a Thai international school learn to make Chinese tuanshan fans in Guilin city, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, in November. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Huang is a fourth-generation master craftsman of the fans, which are traditionally made with bamboo that grows 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 an 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.

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.

|<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next   >>|
Global Edition
BACK TO THE TOP
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349