In China, bookmarks were originally called "kan," meaning "to mark with twigs." Bookmarks originated in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, when they were called "ya li," meaning bookmarks made of ivory.
Around 2007, gold bookmarks, a trendy item popular with Korean fashion enthusiasts, became a collectible item for fashionable men and women.
In 2023, the Hunan Provincial Children's Library launched a series of metal bookmark cultural and creative products themed around "sharing," "exploration," and "inheritance."