The Chinese Iron Fan Part 2- A Series of Articles by Shafagh Amiraftabi Instructor WCMA

One of the earliest “said” records of a fan, is that of Emperor Shun. Emperor Shun was a legendary leader of Ancient China and it is said that he held a magnificent peacock tail fan. I am in hot pursuit of this text and I will share it with you if ever I come across it.

Emperor Shun (2294-2184 BCE) reigned from 2233-2184 BCE. He was the last of the Five Emperors. The Five emperors were mythological rulers who followed the Three Sovereigns. His successor was Yu the Great who founded the Xia Dynasty.

If such a record exists, this makes the first record of a fan thousands of years ago! Ancient fans were round or oval and had a single handle. They were called Tuan Shan which translates circular fan. They were used for domestic purposes.

Foldable fans were first reported in the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE). Fans were used in daily life, in cooking, in art, in drama, in novels, in dance, in costume. There is no detail of exactly when the fan was used as a Chinese weapon in Martial Arts.

The first record of a fan being used as a weapon is in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE). The fan became a popular weapon in the Ching Dynasty (1644-1911 CE). It was referred to as the beautiful secret weapon. The fan when closed could be hidden in the sleeve or other parts of the clothing. When needed the fan could be used to jab or thrust at an opponent.

The fan stem was made out of bamboo, wood or bone and so it was light in weight. This made it easy to carry and was as a result used in exercise. Metal fans were developed when it became a weapon. They were often sharpened and held hidden daggers.

In the next article I will cover the fighting techniques and principles of the fan.

The image is of Emperor Shun the last of the Five Emperors of Ancient China.