How is the Secret Fan symbolic?

The secret fan is a symbol of the two main character's
connectedness and history with each other.  Lily and Snow Flower use the secret language
that the women create to write special messages or memoirs on each slat of the fan, and
then fan is passed back and forth throughout the girls lives.  It is literally a pretty
feminine piece, but as the fan becomes filled with their words, they are constantly
reminded of their shared past, and no matter how many trials they face and how many ways
their friendship is tested by deceit, treachery, and despair, they will always have the
fan to remind them of they have been through together -- starting in their youth when
their friendship was first "arranged."  The secret language used on the fan is also
symbolic of the strength of the women in the novel.  It may have been a male-dominated
society, but the women asserted themselves in this way and forged commitment and
connections to create a support system for themselves.