China is called the Kingdom of fans. Fans are everywhere in our daily life. But how much do you know about them?
It is said that fans were first used to cool the air during the Shang Dynasty. At that time, they were made of feathers, bamboo or silk. Some of them were round, while others were square.
Folding paper fans first became popular during the Song Dynasty. There were usually beautiful pictures on the fans. Some were mountains and rivers, others were flowers and animals. Many people, including Su Dongpo, a poet of the Song Dynasty, and Tang Bohu, a scholar of the Song Dynasty, even painted and wrote poems on fans. This made the fans into art works. Many rich and important people liked holding fans.
Today, fans are popular gifts. During the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, folding fans were given to leaders and officials from other countries, as well as audience members. While they were having their fans to get cool air, they were also experiencing Chinese culture.
