wheat straw fan
Song Dynasty (960-1127).
Rattan fan: Rattan is a trailing plant with a soft texture, which comes in several varieties, such as white rattan, red rattan and purple rattan. The handicraftsmen of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) used the thin and withered rattan to weave the fan cover, which is extremely durable.
bone folding fan
Wheat straw fan: It is prevalent in Zhejiang Province. According to a folk custom in Zhuji, if a young man falls in love with his lady, he will receive a beautiful fan of wheat straw when the summer approaches.
Bone folding fan: It is made of the buffalo rib and is mainly produced in Suzhou, Changzhou, Jiangxi and Guangzhou. After skiving, sawing, digging, blanching, shaping, carving and polishing, the bone looks exactly like ivory.
bamboo fan
Bamboo fan: It is usually woven of thin bamboo strips from the surface of a mountain. When the fan is finished, it is as smooth as silk. It can be square, round or hexagonal in shape, and usually acquires a reddish hue after five or six years. The bamboo fan is also produced in Qingshen County of Sichuan Province where it is called the "green bamboo fan." There is another kind of bamboo fan that is relatively considered to be low-end and is woven of rough bamboo strips. This extremely durable and cheap fan is produced in northern Zhejiang and southern Anhui.
palm-leaf fan
Palm-leaf fan: The palm leaf fan is always round, big and strong, with a long handle and pea green in color. Local people turn the leaf upside down and put weight on it to make it smooth. They then cut it into a round and hang brocade thread along the edge. The handle of the palm-leaf fan is the stem of the palm leaf, which is why it is called a natural handle -- albeit a very rough one. Other materials like bamboo, ivory and hawksbill are also used to make exquisite handles, which are decorated with butterfly laces. These two kinds of fans are both called "punka" or "palm-leaf fan." The palm-leaf fan has been very popular among people because it is inexpensive and portable.