Chinese art of incense wafts into modern life

When Elena Jacob was listening to her Chinese zither teacher play a piece of music in 2009, she also detected a delicate scent pulling at her heartstrings. The smell was unlike the perfumes of any other fragrance she was used to in the city malls or cosmetics halls of Paris. The French student, in her 20s, realized the intoxicating wisps came from a bowl-like container with a burning substance - it was Chinese incense.

"It was clean, pure and light. The aroma was something new to me. It wasn't the smells I knew from home or even those that could be found in the shops in Paris," says the native of Paris, who lives in Beijing.

Jacob soon began studying Chinese incense - where it came from, how it was made and how it could be used and appreciated.

"I mainly use some Chinese ingredients, such as sandalwood, angelica dahurica and ageratum. They can even cure some ailments if used regularly and properly," she says.

Burning incense has also inspired her on many occasions. "Sometimes the smoke can be described in curves, fine spray or clouds. I decided to use the smoke to create my abstract paintings so that my compositions are not only a visual experience but also a channel for my innermost feelings."

Jacob is one of a growing number of people in China and abroad who are discovering or rediscovering the beauty and art of Chinese incense.

The use of incense in China can be traced to the beginnings of civilization. Apart from its more obvious uses in religious ceremonies, incense was also an important part of Chinese intellectual and literary life during many dynasties.

Before the Warring States Period (475-221BC), the ancient Chinese were already using some herbs to prevent and cure diseases.

According to an ancient Chinese classic, The Collection of the Mountains and Seas, earliest examples of using smells for therapy included the wearing of tonka beans to treat skin diseases.

In the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), the use of various types of spices for incense became widespread among the aristocracy.

In the etiquette book Han Palace Code, ministers were required to make their court dress fragrant before meeting the emperor. They used incense to that effect.

"Chinese people were burning incense for various purposes throughout the whole country, from simple temples to prestigious monasteries, from village huts to opulent residences," says Liu Tingting, an incense artist who regularly offers incense-making courses in Shanghai. "Many say that burning incense became a way for everyone to show respect to the deities. But most people have often neglected one crucial aspect - the highly evolved art of burning incense itself.

"Incense art pertains only to the use of natural scented woods, not artificial substitutes. Chinese incense art is a significant part of health benefits and well-being, as well as for enjoyment and ritual."

During the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), members of the nobility were so extravagant and developed in their pursuit of incense arts that they developed various items such as thuribles, aromatic balls and special perfume satchels that could be hidden in sleeves.

Records show that there was a princess named Tongchang who once went through the streets, emitting a fragrance from her carriage that wafted through the whole city.

The development of Chinese appreciation for incense gradually became related to self-cultivation and philosophies.

In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the literary arts and aesthetics were in full blossom. Burning incense became an extremely popular activity in cultural circles and evolved into a highly artistic form. Many scholars think that incense was a major inspiration for writers, artists and musicians.

"Through its many spices and other ingredients, incense became a catalyst for people to release themselves from the frenzy, chaos and fatigue of life," Liu says.

From the Song Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), incense combined significantly with Zen to become part of a special method of meditation. That continued to develop in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), with the interests and practices gradually shifting to most of the civilian population.

Nowadays, despite the more mundane uses of incense to improve the odors of their surroundings, more people are tapping into the legacy of incense appreciation and learning how to appreciate the art as a way of coping with the challenges of modern living.

"One of my students told me that the fragrance and smoke of lighted incense can relieve pressure from work," Liu says.

Many are also beginning to make their own incense in line with tradition and care.

"The first step is to pick out suitable materials to mix. It's very important to consider factors such as the ingredients that will dominate the main aroma and those that will promote the spread of the fragrance," Liu says.

"The second step is to ground these materials carefully to preserve their essence. Sometimes the mixture requires a certain temperature and level of humidity to ferment."

There are specific tools and practices to burn the incense properly, depending on the type used. Incense coils and sticks are some of the most simple of forms so they only require a burner.

A more intricate way of enjoying incense is by setting burning charcoal deep into an incense powder mixture and placing a mica plate above it for a lasting fragrance.

The resulting aromas can softly penetrate the senses.

"The process of burning can calm you down, and the slowly distributed fragrance gives you peace of mind," Liu says.

But the art of burning incense can be expensive, with special spices and ingredients such as genuine santalum album, Chinese eaglewood and ambergris out of the reach of many users, says Tian Gao, a researcher of ancient Chinese culture at Peking University.

"The art of Chinese incense is a lot more about culture and a way of life," Tian says. "It is often paired with tea ceremonies, guqin zither performances, calligraphy and Chinese painting."

Contact the writer at yinyin@chinadaily.com.cn