Fuli Ancient Town

Fuli Ancient Town is a historic village made of stone slabs and cobblestone roads. The village is small and all the old houses are still intact and humming with life. While everything, from local produce to goods, wares and livestock can be bought at the regularly held and popular market, Fuli is especially famous for the handmade fans. This intricate trade, in which the majority of people living here are somehow involved, has earned the village the reputation of being the artistic town in the area. 
Fan craftsmanship has a long tradition in China, and the exquisite structures made of bamboo, as well as painted and folded papers, are used for more than just to keep cool. Over the years they evolved to be used in theatre or dance, as gifts, status symbols, or as simple pieces of art. The handmade fans created in Fuli Ancient Town range from small handheld fans intended for everyday use to huge pieces of art, which when hung up, will cover a whole wall. Consequently, prices vary according to the size and level of detail incorporated in the fans. But while they range from cheap travel fans to exquisite pieces of art worth hundreds of dollars, they all show intricately painted flowers, the karst landscape of Yangshuo, birds, insects and Chinese girls in traditional outfits. 

Practical Info

Fuli Ancient Town is located about 8 kilometers east of Yangshuo. Taking the bus from the main bus station Yangshuo takes about 20 minutes, but the most scenic way to get there is on a bicycle via the small village roads along the Li River.