Folding Fan Workshop, Shanghai
Folding hand fans were invented around 7th AD and were introduced to Europe through trade and the Silk Road. For centuries they are a stylish symbol of wealth and class around the world. One can buy a handmade folding fan at a workshop at 140 Jiu Jiao Chang Road (JiuJiaoChang Lu, 旧校场路), a side alley near 337 Middle Fangbang Road (Fangbang Zhong Lu, 方浜中路). There you can even find the artisans at work. You can choose ready fans, order custom ones, and browse their other products such as their beautiful marble and jade stamps.
What to buy here: folding Fans. Symbol of femininity, folding fans were widely used by concubines during the royal periods, both to give some relief during the hottest hours of the day and as an essential accessory to be compared to a piece of jewelry. Today they are still used during the hot summer months, although they are not all as finely decorated as they were in the imperial era.
They are available in very different prices, depending on the quality of the material and if they are handmade. They can be made in silk and hand painted with typical Chinese patterns of nature subjects such as birds, landscapes, mountains, lakes. You can also order it according to your taste and the artisan will make it for you.
What to buy here: folding Fans. Symbol of femininity, folding fans were widely used by concubines during the royal periods, both to give some relief during the hottest hours of the day and as an essential accessory to be compared to a piece of jewelry. Today they are still used during the hot summer months, although they are not all as finely decorated as they were in the imperial era.
They are available in very different prices, depending on the quality of the material and if they are handmade. They can be made in silk and hand painted with typical Chinese patterns of nature subjects such as birds, landscapes, mountains, lakes. You can also order it according to your taste and the artisan will make it for you.
Image Courtesy of Angela Corrias.
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Folding Fan Workshop on Map
Sight Name: Folding Fan Workshop
Sight Location: Shanghai, China (See walking tours in Shanghai)
Sight Type: Shopping
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Shanghai, China (See walking tours in Shanghai)
Sight Type: Shopping
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
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