While this sleight bears the name of the Chinese conjurer who introduced it to Western magicians in 1914, the move is centuries old. An illustrated explanation of it was given in 1779 by Hose Hirase's 1779 Japanese book Tengutsu. Much of Japan's magic was imported from China, so it isn't known in which of these countries the sleight originated. But Hose's book presents the earliest known description.

Also see Han Ping Chien in Spectator's Hands.