Zigong specialty: Gong Fan

Zigong specialty: Gong Fan

　　The Chinese bamboo-silk fan produced by the Arts and Crafts Factory of Zigong Arts and Crafts Industrial Corporation, originating from the Gong family, is commonly known as "Gong Fan." It has a history of over a hundred years. As early as the late Qing Dynasty, it enjoyed fame both in court and among the people. During the Guangxu era of the late Qing Dynasty, the "Gong Fan" was selected to be sent to the imperial palace, where Emperor Guangxu bestowed upon it the name "Palace Fan." In 1886, it won first prize at the "Treasure Competition" organized by the Baochuan Bureau under the Sichuan Chamber of Commerce, founded by Zhou Xiaohuai, and was awarded a gold medal by Emperor Guangxu.

The weaving technique of the "Gong Fan" is complex. The selection of materials, the craftsmanship, and the artistic quality are all considered unparalleled in the world, earning it recognition as an artistic treasure.

During production, high-quality yellow bamboo is used and undergoes dozens of processing steps to turn the bamboo from surface to light yellow. The resulting bamboo strips are as thin as 0.01–0.02 mm, fine, straight, transparent, and delicate—finer than strands of hair. Over 1,000 such bamboo threads are then woven in warp and weft patterns against famous calligraphy and paintings. Through ingenious and meticulous craftsmanship, the patterns are recreated on the fan surface with lifelike detail and form. The fan designs are exquisite, capturing the essence of the original artworks. They are as soft as silk, as thin as cicada wings, and when the handle is tapped, it resonates like a drum. Even the great literary figure Guo Moruo once mistook it for fine silk brocade, praising it enthusiastically as an exquisitely crafted artistic treasure.