Chinese Incense Culture

For over a thousand years, Chinese incense has been used to purify, purify and relax. During this time, it has been considered one of the highest quality incense varieties in the world.

 

Join us to learn about the history, uses and types of Chinese incense. You'll discover where to buy the best Chinese incense for yourself, including in incense stores, as well as destinations within China that have thousands of years of history.

 

Incense is a natural aromatic material, such as bark or herbs, that emits fragrant smoke when burned. Today, it can be purely natural or man-made. The Chinese word for incense is (香). 

There are two main types of incense in China.

1. heating or smothering small pieces of incense wood

2. direct burning incense made from paste in the form of a stick or cone

 

Heating incense involves heating the aromatic material over a piece of hot charcoal embedded in the ashes. The use of this method produces a mild smoke that is almost invisible. After use, the aromatic material is scorched, but there are no ashes. Incense and sandalwood both fall into this category.

 

When using burning incense, the incense material is burned directly. This type of smoke is more intense and is able to cover a larger area. At the end of the burning process, the incense turns into ashes. Burning incense includes stick incense as well as incense made from natural plant binders such as the ground bark of forbidden trees.

The third category involves incense that enjoys a raw form that is not burned or heated. This type usually comes in powder form or as incense pieces wrapped in a sachet.

 

Each type is used for a different purpose. For example, are made of chopped and mixed aromatic materials.

 

Binder-based incense dominates the incense pillar market. It is made by mixing binder powder with powdered fragrances and water. Inexpensive stick incense can be made by forming a binder stick and dipping it into synthetic essential oils. More expensive versions are usually pure blends of premium aromatic materials mixed with 10% or less binder.