Chinese Incense Culture(香学) · Incense and Seasonal Folk Customs
Double Ninth Chrysanthemum and Zhuyu Incense
"Far off I know where my brothers climb the heights, / And of those wearing zhuyu, one is missing"—wearing zhuyu and drinking chrysanthemum wine on the Double Ninth is an autumn incense custom.
On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, when yang energy is waning and autumn cold gradually deepens, the ancients considered it fitting to ward off evil and pray for longevity.
The Incense of the Double Ninth
- Wearing Zhuyu: Zhuyu has a pungent, fragrant scent; it is placed in sachets and worn on the body or tucked into the hair, said to ward off evil.
- Drinking Chrysanthemum Wine: Chrysanthemum wine is fragrant with a slight bitterness, in keeping with the meaning of "extending the years."
- Climbing Heights: Climbing hills and singing freely, with fragrant herbs at the lapel, giving free rein to the autumn spirit.
Incense and Poetry
There are many Double Ninth incense customs woven into poetry, echoing withPoems on Incensethe seasonal lines in it. Cornel and chrysanthemum also belong to the lineage of fragrant herbs, seeFragrant Herbs in the Chu Ci and the Book of Songs。