Pre-Qin and Two Han Dynasties · Fragrant Herbs and Altars
In its earliest form, incense was the smoke of altars and the herbs of the Chu Ci—the ancients used incense to commune with the divine and fragrant herbs as a metaphor for virtue.
The origins of Chinese incense practices lie in 'sacrifice' and 'herbs.'
The Virtue of Fragrant Herbs
The Chu Ci uses fragrant herbs such as orchid, hui, zhi, pepper, jiangli, magnolia, and jun cassia to express noble purity, establishing the 'fragrant herb and beauty' tradition. SeeChu Ci and Shijing Fragrant Herbs. At this time, incense was mostly herbs for wearing, bathing, and warding off evil, and had not yet become a 'way.'
Altars and Ritual Systems
The ancients believed smoke rising upward reached the divine, and the use of incense in sacrifice has a long history; the term 'incense fire' carries the meaning of unbroken sacrificial offerings. SeeIncense in Sacrifice。
The Rise of Han Censers
In the Han Dynasty, boshanlu censers flourished. The lids were openworked with immortal mountains and cloud vapors; when incense was burned, the smoke wound around the mountain forms—the thought of immortality was concentrated in a single censer. Emperor Wu of Han favored immortals, and many boshanlu censers were set up in Chang'an, seeEmperor Wu of Han and the Boshanlu CenserandTreatise on Incense Implements。