Folding fan art brings fresh air to summer heat

Traditional Chinese folding fans are on display at the Hongbao Tang, an antique store at Beijing's time-honored Liulichang hutong in Beijing. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

Dozens of traditional Chinese folding fans are on display at the Hongbao Tang, an antique store at Beijing's time-honored Liulichang hutong.

The exhibition, organized by the Beijing Folding Fan Art Association , aims to promote the long-standing technique of folding fan making and the art of painting and writing calligraphy on fans.

Artists and scholars since the ancient times have embraced a shared interest in painting on folding paper fans, not only because it is challenging to draw and write on the limited space. But also the folding paper fan, a common-used object of the literati, is widely considered as a symbol of grace and tranquility.

Zheng Gao, an established folding fan making artist and head of the association, demonstrated how to make and repair a folding fan.

The exhibition runs through July 18.