She began research on the Chinese shadow theatre in 1995 and has published two books and numerous articles on the topic. Supported by a Canadian government Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant, she traveled across China three times to do research and videotaped sixteen troupes in nine different provinces and municipalities. Fan commissioned for the transcription from memory many post-midnight shadow plays. All Three Fear Their Wives is the only popular post-midnight play that has not been reworked by professional writers of government-sponsored troupes.