Jeonju Fan Culture Center, ‘Where the Wind Starts’

We find ourselves caught in different winds throughout life. But my favorite is making wind with a nice fan while sitting under a shade during a hot summer day. Did you know that Jeonju is famous for quality traditional Korean fan?

Jeonju, ‘where the wind starts’

You’ve probably heard about the cuisine and Hanok Village in Jeonju. But what’s traditional Korean fan got to do with Jeonju?

According to one historic record, Jeonju was already producing fans in the beginning of the 10th century. During Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), Jeonju was home to the governmental agency for producing high quality fans. This is not surprising since Jeonju is also renowned for producing high quality hanji, the traditional Korean paper.

Since the colonial era, the master fan makers opened their shops in Jungangdong district, also known as ‘Buchaegol’ (‘fan village’). The local government has designated several master fan makers as the local carriers of the intangible cultural asset.

Jeonju Fan Culture Center

Hence, Jeonju is also known as ‘where the wind starts’. Jeonju Fan Culture Center opened in 2011 to promote the traditional Korean fan-making in Jeonju. The center is located in Jeonju Hanok Village. The hanok premise of the center isn’t very big, but has everything about the traditional Korean fans.

Although the center isn’t very big, it has everything about the traditional Korean fans

The permanent exhibition consists of the ‘history of fan’, ‘fans from all over the world’, and the like. I was very impressed to witness the local master fan-maker’s beautiful and elegant fans at the exhibition.

The exhibition shows how a traditional Korean fan is made

Try making your own fan

The center is particularly good for families with children, since the center offers fan-decorating or fan-making experiences.

The fans of the master fan makers. They’re masterpieces

Don’t Miss the Temporary Exhibitions in Jeonju Fan Culture Center

Don’t miss the temporary exhibition when visiting Jeonju Fan Culture Center. Currently, the fans by “Narinsun”, the students of the local fan master Bang Hwa-Sun, are on exhibition. I was impressed to see how the craftsmanship continues.

The “Narinseon” exhibition was an eye-opener to a new world of fans, from something grand to elegant and innovative. I lost words at how people can be so creative with the art of fan-making, criss-crossing the modern and the traditional.

Jeonju Fan Culture Center is very serious about staging the most interesting temporary exhibitions. I highly recommend visiting the center when you’re in Jeonju!

I still remember that it takes more than 100 touches to make a hapjukseon (a typical Korean traditional folding fan). Maybe the art of fan making not only requires skills, but also time and sincerity. That explains why the fan making craftmanship continues in Jeonju. If you’re looking for something local and traditional, visit Jeonju Fan Culture Center, ‘where the wind starts’!

 Jeonju Fan Culture Center

Address: Gyeonggijeongil 93, Wansangu, Jeonju

Admission fee: free

Contact: 063-213-1774~5