I/ History of Incense in Vietnamese Life

Incense is a cultural beauty associated with Vietnamese people for generations. But have you ever wondered where incense comes from? 

• At the end of the second century, Buddhism began to be introduced to Vietnam through trade with India and cultural exchange with China. The customs of burning incense became more and more popular. For more than two thousand years until now, incense sticks have been closely associated with the spiritual culture and daily life of Vietnamese people.
• Since childhood, every child in Vietnam has been taught by their grandparents and parents to burn incense for their ancestors, and superiors. Passed down from generation to generation burning incense has become a cultural beauty of Vietnamese people.
• Burning incense has become an indispensable cultural practice in festivals such as the Worship Ceremony, Vu Lan Festival, New Year, Buddha’s Birthday, … important days in the family such as death anniversary offerings, funerals, weddings, housewarmings…
• Besides, incense is also used to worship gods and deities in beliefs such as Guan Yin Buddha, Fu Lu Shou, Earth Gong, and God of Wealth. … as well as to commemorate the country’s national heroes.

II/ The Incense crafting village with more than 100 year olds

• Quang Phu Cau Village also known as Cau Cau incense village, is a quite famous check-in location located on the outskirts of Hanoi, about 35km from the center of the capital. Quang Phu Cau incense stick craft village is located in Quang Phu Cau commune, Ung Hoa district, and has a history of making traditional incense sticks for more than a century.

• Talking about the history of the long-standing Quang Phu Cau incense stick craft village in Hanoi, for many generations, the incense stick craft has always been one of the traditional professions associated with generations of Vietnamese people.

As time passes, there are many traditional craft villages in Vietnam that have been lost, but fortunately some craft villages in Hanoi are still maintained by the quick and skillful hands of skilled workers. . Among them, there is Quang Phu Cau Incense Village, which specializes in making incense.

Coming to Quang Phu Cau village, the working atmosphere becomes increasingly urgent and bustling as you go deeper into the village. Each person has a job, it seems to have become a habit, their hands quickly split jars, bundle incense sticks, dye products, and set the incense sticks all very proficiently. The sound of splitting vases, bundles of incense sticks, the sound of machines cutting and seizing incense, the loud and small exchange of voices mixed with the sweet scent of incense sticks have created the characteristics for this beautiful village.

To create a finished product for the user, each incense stick is filled with the whole heart of the craftsman. From sharpening the sticks, dyeing feet, setting incense to drying and packaging, all require meticulousness and care. Depending on the type of incense, the craftsman will choose the appropriate ingredients. The ingredients for incense are usually made from agarwood, pine, rosewood, angelica, patchouli, anise, cassia, cassia resin, tubers, vetiver roots, charcoal,…

According to the traditional way, to make incense, the worker must roll gently and firmly so that the powder sticks evenly to the incense stick. Today, with modern technology, facilities invest in machinery to make this process faster and increase productivity many times. After being dried, the incense must be exposed to enough sunlight so that it does not become moldy and can last for a long time. With herbal ingredients, separate and meticulous mixing secrets in each step, Quang Phu Cau’s scent is always fragrant, long-lasting, and beautiful.

III/ What to do when visit Quang Phu Cau Incense craft village

• This is an opportunity for you to learn about the traditional craft of producing incense sticks and take many unique check-in photos.
  • Incense sticks are bundled in large sizes, with heads bunched together and legs spread evenly like blooming flowers. However, in Quang Phu Cau, people dry incense everywhere. When you want to take photos in people’s courtyards, you should ask for permission first and should not go in and take photos without permission. In addition, to support the people in the village, visitors can buy a few bundles of incense to use or as gifts.

• Stroll around Quang Phu Cau incense village, enjoying the atmosphere  and find for yourself spaces that still have the beauty of the Northern countryside with colored walls and tiled roofs 

IV/ Conclusion

With all that Beauty and History, Quang Phu Cau incense village is definitely an ideal place to visit, helping to increase the color in your journey to explore Hanoi. Coming to Quang Phu Cau, in addition to having beautiful photos to take home, you also have the opportunity to learn more about a long-standing traditional profession, a profession that helps preserve the soul of an item with spiritual cultural significance in life.