Intangible cultural heritage of China Century old shop

扇艺中国 礼善世界

Wang xingzhai, a famous fan maker, founded Wang Xing

Publish Time:2018-10-06 14:07:10    Browse Times:2604

Wang xingzhai (1850-1909), the founder of WANGXINGJI Fan Village, was born in the family of three generations of fan craftsmen. He learned to make fans from his father when he was a child, and he had a good understanding and dexterity. Later, he worked as a sander in qianbuji fan workshop under sanshengqiao River (now between the new palace bridge and sanshengqiao of Zhonghe River). Because of his painstaking study and willing to suffer, he became a famous sander in Hangcheng fan industry when he was only 20 years old.



Wang xingzhai's business opportunity comes from a perfect marriage. Near the fan workshop of qianbuji, there is a workshop for making Decal fans in zhouyewennong. The owner of the workshop, Chen yizhai and his family are all experts in decal. They are specialized in processing and making high-grade gold fans for shulianji Fan Village. Their business is prosperous. Chen yizhai, seeing Wang xingzhai's good craftsmanship and capable people, is willing to recruit him as his son-in-law and betroth his eldest daughter Chen Ying to him. Chen Ying learned how to make gold fans from her father when she was a child. She is also a famous fan maker for her fan decals and gold sprinkling skills.



After Wang xingzhai got along with Chen Yingxi, he opened a small fan making workshop in the fan Lane nearby with the help of his father. He adhered to the tenet of "exquisite work, fine materials and excellent craftsmanship". The fans made by Wang xingzhai were exquisite and unique in style, and were soon sold out after being put on the market. Later, the couple launched a black paper fan for the common people on the basis of Hangzhou oil fan, which was also popular in the market, known as "one fan and half umbrella". In this way, Wang xingzhai's fan workshop stands out in many stores with its excellent workmanship and unique technology.



Following the black paper fan, Wang Xingzhai gradually passed down the varieties of Hangzhou fans developed by his predecessors, and boldly stepped out of Hangzhou City in the nineteen years of Qing Guangxu (1893), advancing into Town God's Temple, Shanghai, and opening the first seasonal Fan Village in other cities. During this period, the refined black paper clay Gold Fancy fan became the "tribute fan" of the imperial court because of its exquisite workmanship and rich and generous, which made it increasingly famous. In the 27th year of Guangxu's reign (1901), Wang xingzhai took advantage of the hot iron to march into Beijing and set up "Wang xingzhai Fan Village" in Yangmei inclined street of the capital. Later, Fanzhuang sub branches were successively opened in Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang, Jinan, Chengdu and other places. Wang xingzhai's Fan Village rose rapidly, keeping pace with Shu Lianji and Zhang Ziyuan, becoming one of the three famous fans in Hangzhou.


In 1909, Wang Ziqing, the son of Wang xingzhai, inherited his father's career. In 1929, Wang Ziqing registered and used the "Samsung" trademark, which implies Samsung Gaozhao, and opened a four door shop in taipingfang, Hangzhou, officially listing the "WANGXINGJI Fan Village", at any cost to do advertising. At the same time, taking advantage of the opportunity of holding the first West Lake Expo in Hangzhou, we selected all kinds of exquisite famous fans to participate in the competition, and won the first prize of white paper fan carving. At the exhibition, we received the two-year order from foreign large commercial firms. Since then, the export business has been opened. By the 24th year of the Republic of China (1936), Wang Xingji fan village had occupied most of the market, replaced Shu Lianji, and became the first fan industry in Hangzhou.