China’s incense culture sprouted from ancient sacrificial rituals, blossomed with the virtue of wearing fragrances in the Spring and Autumn period, took shape through the nobility of blended incense in the Han Dynasty, flourished in the opulence of Tang-era incense use, spread widely in the Song Dynasty’s burning rituals, refined itself in the Ming-Qing art of savoring incense, declined amid wartime chaos, and has now revived in an era of peace and harmony.
In Quanzhou, where incense has burned brightly since antiquity, the art of incense carving rekindles the city’s spiritual and aesthetic legacy.
The precise origins of incense remain shrouded in time, but archaeological evidence suggests its use predates the Neolithic era.
From Sacred Rituals to Cultural Symbol
During the Hongshan and Liangzhu cultures (4,000–5,000 years ago), aromatic herbs like mugwort, zelan, and huicao (蕙草) were burned in ceramic censers for rituals honoring heaven, earth, and spirits. This tradition persisted in Taoist and Buddhist rites, where smoke became a conduit for devotion.
By the Spring and Autumn period, incense found textual mention in classics like The Book of Songs (诗经) and Chu Ci (楚辞), where fragrant herbs symbolized virtue and grace.
During the Han Dynasty, the Silk Road introduced exotic spices—cloves, frankincense, myrrh, and ambergris—sparking innovations like blended incense (和香).
By the Six Dynasties, incense branched into three realms: imperial, scholarly, and religious.
Tang to Yuan: The Golden Age of Incense
The Tang Dynasty saw incense entwined with Buddhism and Taoism. Temples burned incense as offerings, while merchants specialized in the spice trade.
"Four hundred eighty temples of the Southern Dynasties, how many towers stand veiled in mist and rain?"
This poetic line captures incense’s sacred role in religious devotion. Beyond rituals, incense also purified homes and enriched daily life.
Song Dynasty Refinement
The Song era elevated incense to an art form. Scholars dominated its evolution, blending imported spices and refining blending techniques.
Incense became a philosophical pursuit, embedding itself into China’s cultural fabric—a legacy that endures to this day.
The Ming Dynasty democratized incense, spreading its use across all social strata.
By the Qing era, incense lost its meditative essence but saw revolutionary innovations like incense sticks (线香), enabling mass adoption. In Quanzhou, Incense Carving began its evolution during this period.
EastAdore Incense Carving: Bridging Tradition and Modernity
In modern times, incense culture has been reawakened as a cherished tradition. Eastadore Incense Carving (later rebranded as EastAdore) revives the millennia-old allure of incense.
From Quanzhou—the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road—this craft propagates China’s fragrance heritage, reviving Eastern aesthetics and globalizing the spiritual essence of incense.