Recently, faculty and student representatives from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection and Research Society spanning the School of Humanities, School of Law, and School of Design, visited No.1 Senior High School of WEDZ. Collaborated with the teachers and students of the school’s Sino-French International Class, they engaged in an exchange event learning the lacquer fan as an intangible cultural heritage.
Members of the Intangible Heritage Society introduced the history and crafting techniques of the lacquer fan to the students and their parents in the Sino-French International Class. They also provided hands-on guidance in color matching, color testing, and the art of folding the fan. With enthusiasm, the high school students crafted their own lacquer fans, immersing themselves in the beauty and intricacy of traditional Chinese culture.
The lacquer fan, a treasure among China’s intangible cultural heritage, is meticulously crafted with frames made from sliced bamboos (Fargesia murielae) and adorned with xuan paper, a premium grade of rice paper. Once the fan takes its final form, it is coated with a layer of lacquer, a mixture of mineral pigments and natural lacquer. Leveraging the water-insoluble property of lacquer, the “floating paint” technique in lacquer art is employed to create patterns on the water’s surface using avariety of gestures—pointing, tossing, flicking, and stroking. The fan is then completed by immersing it in this “floating paint,” allowing the fusion of water and pigment to yield a spectrum of variable and exquisite colors. This process embodies the quintessence of the color aesthetics found within the rich tapestry of Chinese classical culture.
Members of the Intangible Heritage Society explains the process of making lacquer fans
lacquer fans
It is reported that the Intangible Cultural Heritage Research and Protection Society, a part of the School of Humanities, was established in 2013. Since its inception, the society has been dedicated to orchestrating a diverse array of activities aimed at the research, preservation, and promotion of intangible cultural heritage.
(By Wang Mengying)