Fanning a resurgence in a cool identity

The old man, who brought his son into the world of fan-making when the latter was 20, continued to make fans until his own passing in 2020 at the age of 87.

"What my father always insisted on doing as a fan-maker was to do it all by himself, which is rare these days since most masters would delegate part of the job to an apprentice," Xu says. "Personal involvement in every step of the fan-making process allows one to carry on his aesthetics."

That process starts with the selection of bamboo, something Xu still does every January in Anji county.