Jan. 12, 2024 SHANGHAI - A new "fan museum" has recently opened in Yuyuan, Shanghai, attracting many tourists and art lovers. People are curious to enter this world of fan shadows, as if traveling through a time tunnel, experiencing the beauty of ancient elegance and modern fashion.
The museum takes fans as the theme, from the craftsmanship to the development of art, from the characteristic style to the blessing and wealth, and vividly displays the story of the small object of fans, giving people a new understanding of fans.
Walking into the museum, the first thing that came into view was a huge beautiful fan called "Straight to the Sky": three people tall, straight into the clouds, each fan bone is a silhouette of a characteristic building in Shanghai, the whole fan is the skyline of the Huangpu River, the gorgeous colors on it are derived from the sunrise scenery of the Huangpu River, the first ray of sunlight in the morning illuminates Lujiazui, the azure blue Huangpu River water against the blue magic city that is still sleeping...
This fan with Shanghai characteristics makes people sigh at the beauty of fan art, and it has also become a must-pass for everyone to take pictures of the clock in Shanghai Yuyuan Garden.
After entering the museum, the left side is a vivid scene display, dozens of vivid clay figurines, showing the traditional fan-making process, from the initial cutting of bamboo to the final folding of the fan surface, showing the exquisite craftsmanship of the ancestors in detail. Ancient paintings, old photos and text introductions on the wall shake the memory of fans for 3,000 years, telling the origin, historical evolution and cultural value of fans to the present day.
Coming to the right side of the museum lobby, the glass window displays the raw materials, tools and production methods of different fans. From material selection to design, from carving to coloring, from fan to folding fan, behind the rich styles of fans lies the ingenuity of the makers who have been sharpening their swords for ten years.
Red sandalwood, rosewood, ebony, ivory, animal bone, tortoiseshell...; sandalwood fan, fragrant wood fan, cypress wood fan, silk fan, imitation ivory fan, bone carving fan... The material selection requirements of the fan bone are very high, not only the beauty of the fan, but also the durability of the fan. The painting of the fan surface is a test of the craftsman's technology and artistic accomplishment. When it comes to the design of the fan, some are elegant and simple, some are modern and fashionable, some are exquisite and delicate, and some are majestic.
Intangible heritage ingenuity, the soul of the treasure fan. Every fan is a flowing picture scroll, and every pattern is a unique artistic expression.
Nowadays, the value of fans has gone far beyond their practical functions and has become a kind of art. Whether it is landscape paintings, flower and bird paintings, calligraphy, poetry, and seal carving techniques on the fan, they have all reached a very high level, containing a strong cultural atmosphere and artistic charm.
Hundred Fan Story, the most beautiful fan. In the famous fan area, you can see the works of famous fans. They not only have high artistic value, but also witness the status and cultural inheritance of fans in Chinese history.
Some of these outstanding works come from state-level fan-making master Xing Weizhong, chief technician Wu Caiming in Anji, Zhejiang, heritage project representative Zhang Guobin, senior arts and crafts artist Chen Aixing and other famous fan-making masters. They have injected new vitality into the contemporary art of fans with their exquisite craftsmanship and design style, as well as their unique contributions in the field of fan art.
In addition, the museum also regularly holds fan-making technology exhibitions and lectures, inviting renowned fan art masters and scholars to share their fan-making experiences and research results on the spot, as well as professional fan art masters to conduct on-site production demonstrations, allowing visitors to experience the charm of fan-making up close.
A fan DIY experience area was also set up on site, painting a fan surface, stringing a fan pendant, and making a fan... Tourists can make a unique fan by themselves as a souvenir to take home and experience the inheritance and fun of intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship.
The fan, in traditional Chinese culture, symbolizes good luck, auspiciousness and wealth. It is not only a good thing to please yourself, but also the first choice for people to give gifts. Visitors can customize their own fan ceremony in the museum. The calligraphy and painting teacher will write calligraphy and draw Chinese paintings on the spot, making your fan a meaningful gift.
It is worth mentioning that the museum also provides blessing and wealth services derived from fan pendants. There are fortune orders and fortune fans, eighteen seeds of the city god, and Wenchang fan pendants on site... Tourists who hold fortune fans can enter the wealth temple next to the city god temple for free to pray for blessings. On the occasion of the New Year, it is just a good prize for themselves and their relatives and friends.
The "Fan-Making Museum" is located in Shanghai Yu Garden and is open daily from 10am to 9pm. Visitors can visit for free, and they can also take free photos at Internet celebrity clocks in the giant beautiful fan, special clay figure scenes, prayer and wealth. The museum provides guided tours to better understand the history and culture of fans. Whether you are a culture and art lover or someone interested in traditional Chinese culture, you may wish to visit Shanghai Yu Garden in person.
Fan, as a traditional handicraft with Chinese characteristics, has immeasurable value in history, culture, art and other aspects. By visiting the Fan Museum, people can not only learn about the past and present lives of fans, but also see the big from the small and use fans as a medium to truly feel the charm of traditional culture, which is of great significance for inheriting and promoting the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation.
Nowadays, the national tide is surging, people pay more and more attention to and love traditional culture, and many young people have begun to understand and love fans. They use fans as a creative carrier, spread Chinese culture, tell Chinese stories, and combine ancient fan art with modern aesthetics to give fans new life.
Shanghai Yuyuan "Fan Museum" not only enriches the cultural connotation of Yuyuan Garden, but also makes a positive contribution to the promotion of traditional Chinese fan art. I believe that in the days to come, this museum will become a beautiful landscape for people to inherit fan culture.
