Hanoi’s incense artisans keep a ‘core’ 100-year tradition alive

The news outlet shared that the villagers have made the joss sticks here for more than a century. On average, workers operating in this cottage industry collect 200 tonnes of material and produce 50 tonnes of incense every month.

The result is a hypnotic assembly of dyed bamboo bundles that is capable of bringing in as many as 500 visitors each day during the weekend, according to artisan Dinh Vinh, who is now 65, but started making incense when he was just six years old.

In the past, workers in the village would split the wooden sticks by hand when making joss sticks, but these days, they use machines, the article wrote.

The incense sticks’ fragrance comes from combinations of ingredients, including agarwood, cedar, wormwood, patchouli, rosemary, and cinnamon. The scent is tailored in order to suit different regions of the country.

Once ready, the incense sticks are then sold throughout the nation and are exported to numerous countries around the world. 

More than 300 families produce incense in the village all year round and they are especially busy before the Lunar New Year when temples across the country are packed with visitors.

Due to falling incomes, artisan Dinh Vinh worries that younger generations are losing interest in taking up the profession, yet he does not think the trade will disappear entirely. “Lighting incense to remember our lost parents, our deceased ancestors, is a core element of the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people,” he said.

Vietnamese tend to burn incense to commemorate their ancestors on special occasions including holidays, death anniversaries, family reunions, and the Lunar New Year.

Situated in Ung Hoa district 35 kilometres from downtown of Hanoi, Quang Phu Cau village is famous for its century-old craft of making incense, with this attracting plenty of locals and foreigners over recent years.