Yin Genmao, 75, is masterful feather fan artisan in Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/hz66.com]

Yin Genmao, 75, is masterful feather fan artisan in Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province.

The artisan has been devoted to the making of feather fans for over 60 years and has been designated an inheritor of feather fan making skills in the city.

Making Huzhou feather fans consists of 36 laborious steps. Despite being over 70 years old, Yin can still make over 1,000 fans annually.

Three feather fans that he made in the 1970s won first place in national competitions. The foldable bamboo bone feather fan crafted by Yin also won the "Hundred Flowers Award", China's highest award for arts and crafts. 

Yin's craftsmanship is not only reflected in the inheritance of traditional crafts, but also in his spirit in pursuing innovation.

Combining traditional skills with modern aesthetics, a peach-shaped fan developed by Yin has become a new favorite in the cultural and creative market in recent years.

A velvet folding fan he created has also obtained a national invention patent.

Huzhou feather fans, which refer to fans made of bird feathers, are listed among the three most renowned fans in China.

Huzhou has a profound history of feather fan making. The city's annual production of feather fans reached 240,000 at most in the 1980s, with some even being sold overseas.                                   

A folding fan created by Yin Genmao, a masterful feather fan artisan in Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/hz66.com]

A velvet folding fan created by Yin Genmao, a masterful feather fan artisan in Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/hz66.com]