Since the XIX century, Chang Son hand fan have made the strong impression by high-quality products, representing the identity of the Vietnamese villages.
To make the perfect fan products, the hand-fan makers must be meticulous in every step. Bamboo sections must be selected carefully to manufacture the spokes, fabric must be selected in line with the types of fan body, pastes must be smooth and thin but ensure the firmness of the fans….During processing, the makers must patiently wait for the sufficient time of soaking the bamboo sections, the bamboo bars are sharpened to acquire the same thickness, fabric is cut to fit the fan frames, paste is applied skillfully to connect each spokes. Although today fan-making process has been supported mechanically, the machines are only used for cutting and splitting raw materials and most of the stages are still carried out manually. A beautiful fan product can only be produced based on the cleverness, creativity and visual sense of each maker.
Stage of sharpening fan spokes.
During the hand-fan making process, the participants must be connected into “a single line”. “Fan making process includes many stages. My family alone cannot do successfully because 500 to 700 pieces are sold out per day. Instead, each family is in charge of each stage, including sharpening bamboo bars, cutting fabric, finishing and packaging. Thanks to that, a hand fan “travels” around the village, and the whole village jointly makes a hand fan”, said Ms. Do Thi Bang, the owner of a fan-making group. It is not only the linkage in working and production and experience-sharing, but also the feature of the residential community-based lifestyle, representing the traditional culture of Vietnam.
Besides fan products for daily life, Chang Son fans also play roles in promoting the image of the country and the people of Vietnam through the fan products marked with parallel sentences and famous landscape of Vietnam, painting fans to decoration, silk fans for art performances …
Fans are considered as “careers” of the local people
Regarding the conservation and preservation of traditional villages, “Fan making is the career of Chang Son people. We choose the career and are chosen by the career”, said Ms. Phi Thi Loan, a fan maker.
Around the village, the elderly are whittling fan spokes, women are drying bamboo sections in the sun, kids and children are helping their grandmothers and mothers, which are the daily images. It is not only the daily activity but also the way of preserving their traditional handicraft by the Chang Son people for many years.
Thanh Hang