Wang Xing Ji

In 1875 Wang Xingzhai opened the Wang Xing Ji fan shop on Hangzhou's Fan Alley. Hangzhou's elegant fans had been renowned since the Southern Song, and Wang Xing Ji became their leading name.

Alongside Hangzhou silk and Longjing tea, Wang Xing Ji fans are counted among the city's "three crafts," often given as state gifts and held in museums at home and abroad.

Its signature black-paper fan is coated in persimmon lacquer so it resists rain and never warps in the sun—earning the saying "a fan that is half an umbrella"—made through an intricate sequence of steps.

A China Time-honored Brand whose fan-making technique is inscribed on the national intangible cultural heritage list.