Amber Zhang

    SOME people never stop searching for fragrance in their life.

    While essential oils of flowers are common for daily use and household aromatherapy, burning incense offers an ancient way to appreciate wood-based aromas.

    In ancient China, burning incense was considered a lifestyle for the society’s elite and was most popular during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). In modern times, incense still provides a way to communicate with nature and experience peaceful relaxation.

    Incense commonly sold in shops is mostly made of eaglewood or sandalwood, which have pleasant fragrances and even medical functions, some people believe. An eaglewood joss stick is considered calming after busy and stressful work, leading to healthy sleep, while sandalwood incense is said to activate the mind and energize the spirit.

    Burning incense has developed into an art form similar to the tea ceremony and arranging of flowers. Much like the tea ceremony, burning incense has tools unique to its art. A well-designed incense brazier and the intricate burning process can appeal to the heart and rejuvenate the mind and soul, as fragrances spread feelings of sophistication and tranquility.

    There are many kinds of incense braziers and it’s important to select a proper one. A classic copper joss stick brazier is better for burning incense at home since it’s heavier and more solid, while an electric brazier is convenient for use in a car and a ceramic brazier can be put on a tea tray to create portable, pleasant fragrances.

    Burning incense directly is perhaps the easiest way to enjoy its fragrance. Some braziers are designed with a small hole for the joss stick. A plate-form brazier will help incense burn for several hours.

    The use of hot charcoal is another fun, popular method. The first step is to burn charcoal on a metal net, until it’s glowing red. Then, prepare some ash (which you can gather from a temple) in the brazier and use a small incense shovel to level the ash. Dig a hole in the middle of the ash and, using tongs, place the hot charcoal in the hole. The ash can control how fast the charcoal burns. For a hotter temperature, keep the hole shallow with less ash.

    Put a mica sheet on top of the charcoal hole, then spray incense that was cut into small pieces or grinded into powder on the sheet. If some smoke comes out, add more ash.

    When burning incense in a small brazier, hold it in one hand and cover the brazier’s top with the other hand to gather rich aromas in a close space.

    The burning of incense began in China and developed further in Japan, where “kodo” means “way of incense.”

    For Japanese aristocracy during the Muromachi era (1336-1573), incense involved an informal game played by men and women, providing opportunities to tell a story or just pass the time. To begin the ceremony, the unlit incense of fragrant wood — kyara, rakoku, sumatora, manaka, sasora or manaban — was placed on a mica plate, which was then placed on top of hot coals. The heat subtly released the scent of the incense and those playing the game had to guess the ingredients by “listening” to the incense in a very specific way. Through a series of ritualized movements, the incense was lit and passed around.