The Development History of Gong Fan

Bamboo silk fan started from Gong, so it is commonly called "Gong Fan". It has a history of more than 1 years, and it is one of the famous three wonders in Zigong. During the Guangxu period of Qing Dynasty, it was created by Gong Yuzhang, a folk artist, on the basis of inheriting the skills of his father Gong Juewu. In 1886, Zhou Xiaohuai, Sichuan Quanye Road, founded the Baochuan Bureau's "Saibao" meeting, which won the championship in one fell swoop and was sent to the palace. Emperor Guangxu gave him the name "Gong Shan".

"Gong Fan" is an artistic treasure with exquisite materials, skillful workmanship, high artistic quality and complicated craftsmanship, and is known as "the first fan in the world". "Gong Fan" uses a young bamboos from Yinshan Mountain as raw material, and the bamboo silk processed with special tools is transparent, bright and clean, as thin as cicada's wings. Then, according to the famous paintings and calligraphy, the silk is carefully worn, hung, inlaid and broken, and the ingenious structure reproduces the charm of the original work. The fan surface is actually like silk. Beating the fan handle is like drumming. Make viewers mistake plain silk brocade. Using white horn as fan handle and silk "tassel" as decoration, it is more noble in texture and soft and uniform in color pattern, which greatly increases the charm. This kind of bamboo and silk products, which are simple, delicate, chic and superb in national cultural theme, form and style, are excellent representatives of oriental art and folk traditional handicrafts. Mr. Guo Moruo, a famous literary master and archaeologist, first recognized the bamboo silk fan as a plain silk brocade and praised it as "a wonderful work."

Zigong "Gong Fan" is known as "the first fan in China", which is a Chinese intangible cultural heritage and precious Han folk art..

"Gong Fan" originated in Zigong City, Sichuan Province, and was produced during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. It has a history of more than 13 years. Gong Fan was invented by Gong Juewu, and has been passed down to the fifth generation. In the last years of Guangxu, Zhou Xiaohuai, a Taoist priest in Sichuan, set up a seminar in Chengdu to promote industry and commerce, and held a seminar and a treasure fair to collect handicrafts from various counties. Gong Juewu wove a mosquito net weighing only a few taels with bamboo silk, and took part in the tournament together with a bamboo round fan. Zhou Xiaohuai presented the round fan to Empress Dowager Cixi, who was delighted, and awarded a "gold medal" named "Gong Shan". Since then, "Gong Fan" (also known as "Gong Shan") has become famous.

Gong Yuzhang, the second-generation descendant of Gong Fan, has developed Gong Fan's craft to a superb state. Whether it is landscape figures, flowers, birds, fish and insects, cursive calligraphy or small capital letters, it can be compiled on a small round fan with a circle of only six inches, without losing the charm of the original. Sometimes people sigh that "this fan should only be found in the sky".

The fourth generation descendants of Gong Fan are Gong Daoyi, the eldest son of Gong Yuwen, Gong Daoyong, the second son, and Gong Jufen, the daughter of Gong Changrong. The fourth generation descendants reduced the diameter of bamboo filament from .25mm to .1 ~ .15mm..

The fifth generation of Gong Fan is Gong Qian, the daughter of Gong Daoyong, and Gong Ping, the son of Gong Jufen. The fifth generation of young "Gong Fan" inherited and carried forward the skill of "Gong Fan", and the quality products continued.