（DCS系统）和（机器人系统）及（大型伺服控制系统）备件大卖！叫卖！特卖！卖卖卖！
The first people to develop foldable handheld fans probably never imagined their invention would go on to represent the culture of a nation. In a similar vein, fan maker Zheng Gao also never imagined he would become an important inheritor of traditional Chinese foldable fan culture.

Though handhold fans can be found everywhere in China, craftsmen who produce traditional handmade fans are rare, especially in North China. The average Chinese person's knowledge of traditional foldable fans, which have been around for centuries, is also limited. To change this situation, Zheng, who has been making fans for more than three decades, is trying to popularize the art and culture of the traditional hand fan.

Zheng works out of a small shop in the Shilihe area of Beijing, a place where craftsmen and plant and bird sellers can be found. It is also the home base of his Beijing Fan Art Association. While his name is widely known among those who are interested in traditional fans, he hasn't established an online shop or Sina Weibo account. His only attempt at social media so far has been to publish one promotional article on his shop's WeChat account.

"I don't want to be distracted by social media," Zheng told the Global Times.

On Sunday, Zheng took time out from his preparations for the 2nd Fan Culture Art Exhibition, which will kick off on Wednesday and end on Saturday, to share his passion for this traditional handicraft with the Global Times.

A better life

To provide financial support for his family in North China's Shanxi Province, Zheng traveled to Beijing to work in construction during the 1980s. One day as he wandered a local market during his time off, he was surprised to see a handheld fan going for 80 yuan ($12), roughly a month's salary for a construction worker at the time.

Since he had some experience with carpentry, Zheng decided to try his hand at making a fan himself. He purchased a mahogany table leg from a flea market and after a week's effort he managed to complete his first foldable hand fan, which he sold for 120 yuan.

Seeing a new lucrative opportunity, Zheng left his construction job and opened a stall in a local market to sell his handmade fans.

His life was further changed after an encounter with famous Xiangsheng (crosstalk) performer Ma Ji (1934-2006) in the 1980s.