The Chinese fan sppeared around the Shang Dynasty. At that time, it was used to keep off the sun and rain, which was a bit like today's umbrella. The fan began to help cool people down in the Zhou Dynasty. It was made of birds' feathers and it was only popular among rich people. Later, the bamboo fan appeared and it was cheaper. Common people could have it.
There were many types of fans for some special purposes. There is a story about Zheng Banqiao, one of the greatest artists in history. It's said that once Zheng saw an old woman selling fans. Her fans were nice, but they didn't sell well, so she was sad. With pictures that Zheng drew on those fans, they were sold out very quickly. Then it became popular to paint or write on fans. Fans play an important part in Chinese culture. The Chinese fan is also a popular gift to give foreign friends.
