Li Yu was a genius at writing ci poetry and a disaster as an emperor. But the flourishing of incense affairs in the Southern Tang court reached its peak precisely under him.
Tent Incense is a famous palace incense of Li Yu, the last ruler of the Southern Tang. The method is summed up in one sentence: soak agarwood in goose pear juice, steam until soft in a rice steamer, grind and mix, then add a little borneol.The original text in Volume 26 of Xiang Cheng is: “One liang of agarwood, chopped into pieces the size of incense sticks; ten goose pears, juice extracted to soak the agarwood; steamed until soft in a steamer; ground and mixed; add a little borneol. When burned, it has the moisture of pear juice without the fierceness of agarwood.” It belongs to the ancient method of “condensed floral fragrance”—condensing fruit fragrance into the incense, allowing the clear moisture of pear juice to neutralize the intensity of agarwood.
Important statement: The process and proportions proposed in this article are “restoration ideas,” not a verbatim copy of the original formula.Tent Incense varies in detail and quantity across various texts such as Xiang Cheng and Chen's Xiang Pu; this article provides a practicable modern method based on their principles, for cultural research and incense practice reference only.
Key points
- Source: Xiang Cheng, Volume 26, “Condensed Floral Fragrance.” The original text states: one liang of agarwood chopped into pieces the size of incense sticks, ten goose pears juiced to soak it, steamed until soft in a steamer, ground and mixed, and a little borneol added.
- The principle is “moistening incense with fruit”: The clear sweetness of pear juice neutralizes the intensity of agarwood; steaming allows the juice to penetrate the incense body, hence “has the moisture of pear juice without the fierceness of agarwood.”
- “Goose pear” is an ancient term referring to pears with large fruit and white flesh; today one can useYa pear, Xuehua pear, Xiangshui pearand other juicy, mild-flavored varieties as substitutes.
- “Chopped into pieces the size of incense sticks” is a key detail—agarwood should be cut into strips the size of incense sticks to increase the surface area exposed to juice, not ground into powder.
- “Borneol” refers to borneol (bingpian); the amount is “a little”—better less than more.
- Steaming involves open flame/steam and high temperatures,must be attended, keep ventilation, and prevent burns; the finished incense must still be used in compliance with open flame and ventilation regulations.
The Southern Tang occupied the rich Jiangnan region, and its three generations of rulers all favored the arts. Emperor Li Jing, the last ruler Li Yu, plus the poet temperament that produced “How much sorrow can you have,” made palace incense use refined to the bone. Tent Incense is a product of this tradition—Tent, refers to a sleeping tent. This is not the solemn incense of the temple hall; it is a burner accompanying sleep in the tent at night, seeking softness, moisture, and understatement.
The name "Jiangnan Li Zhu's Tent Incense" itself is also worth noting: it says "Jiangnan" rather than "Southern Tang," and "Li Zhu" rather than "the Last Ruler"—this is how Song dynasty people wrote after entering the Song—the incense formula of a fallen ruler was preserved by the victors in the most polite manner。
Let's break down the original text again:
One liang of agarwood, chopped into pieces the size of an incense pillar; ten goose pears, take their juice and soak the agarwood in it; steam until soft in a rice steamer; grind and mix; add a little borneol.
| Original text | Meaning | Technical points |
|---|---|---|
| One liang of agarwood | Main ingredient | One liang is about 37–40 grams; scale proportionally according to your own usage |
| Chopped into pieces the size of an incense pillar | Cut into strips as thick as an incense pillar | Cut into strips, do not grind into powder, in order to increase the contact surface without scorching |
| Ten goose pears, take their juice | Squeeze pear juice | Ten pears to one liang of agarwood; the juice should be sufficient to submerge the incense strips |
| Soak the agarwood | Soak | Let the juice penetrate first |
| Steam until soft in a rice steamer | Steam thoroughly in a steamer | Moist heat accelerates penetration; at the same time, the word "soft" indicates it must be steamed until the incense body softens |
| Grind and mix | Grind fine and mix evenly | After steaming, grind into a paste, then mix evenly |
| Add a little borneol | Add a small amount of borneol | Borneol is volatile, so it must beafter coolingthen add |
| burn it | effect | "It has the moistness of pear juice, without the fierceness of agarwood" |
Three places where it is easy to go wrong:First, grinding into powder(after steaming it becomes a paste, and the fragrance is entirely lost);Second, not enough pear juice(not soaked through, so after steaming there is only a surface layer of fruit flavor);Third, adding borneol while hot(it all evaporates, a wasted addition).
This is the question most often asked during reconstruction.
"Goose pear" is the name of an ancient pear variety; literally it should refer to one with large fruit, white color, and tender flesh. In ancient texts, goose pear is often listed alongside "ya pear" and "snow pear," and today it is difficult to identify its variety precisely. What the Song people called goose pear roughly belongs tojuicy, clean and sweet in taste, low in aciditythe white-fleshed pear group.
How to choose pears for reconstruction?The shopkeeper's suggestion:
The principle for choosing pears is just one:juicy, clean-tasting, and not stealing the show。
The following is a home-operable version; the total incense amount is based on 20 grams of agarwood (roughly equivalent to slightly more than half a liang in the ancient formula), and can be scaled proportionally.
Cut the agarwood intostrips the thickness of a matchstick, about 2–3 cm long. This step corresponds to the original text's "file into the size of an incense stick." For the material, mid-grade agarwood is sufficient—the star of Zhangzhong incense is "the moisture of pear juice," and using premium material would instead be masked by the fruity note, which is a waste.
5–6 duck pears (for 20 grams of agarwood, about half the ancient formula's ratio), peel and core, juice them, and strain out the solids. Take about 200–300 ml of pure juice,subject to fully submerging the incense strips。
Immerse the incense strips in the pear juice and let stand at room temperature for12–24 hours. Use a ceramic or glass container, not metal (the acidity of pear juice will react with metal). Turn once or twice midway.
Put the juice and incense strips together in a bowl and place in a steamer. After the water boils, turn to medium heat,steam for 60–90 minutes, until the incense strips soften and can be easily pierced through with chopsticks—this is "steamed tender." Add water as needed along the way; don't let it burn dry.
This step is the most dangerous part of the entire process, see the safety notes below.
Take out the steamed incense strips, drain off excess liquid, and while still warm and soft, grind them into a paste (you can use a stone mortar or briefly pulse in a food processor). If too wet, bake at low temperature (50–60℃) until it reaches a moldable state.
Be sure to wait until the incense paste has completely cooled to room temperature, then add borneol powder at an amount of1%–3%of the total weight (the ancient formula says "a little"; better less than more). Knead evenly, then roll into incense pills the size of Gordon euryale seeds, or press into small cakes.
Shade-dry in a ventilated, light-free place for 3–7 days, then place in a jar to seal and age for14–30 days. Open the jar midway and take a sniff: when the fruity fragrance and agarwood change from "two separate layers" into "one unified flavor," it's done.
For related process details, this site'sIncense-making Process · Incense Agingpage has a dedicated explanation.
Some ask: why not just soak agarwood directly in pear juice—why steam it?
The difference lies in the depth of penetration and degree of transformation.Soaking at room temperature allows the juice to penetrate only the surface layer; steaming with moist heat causes the wood fibers to expand and the capillaries to open, allowing the juice to enter the interior, while "steaming tender" means the structure of the incense body is softened, creating conditions for the subsequent "grinding and blending." In other words,steaming is not to steam the pear flavor into it, but to make the agarwood willing to accept the pear flavor。
This is a very clever step in the ancient method. It embodies precisely the theme of that volume of the Xiang Cheng, Volume 26—"Condensing Floral Fragrance": condensing the fragrance of flowers into the body of the incense, rather than mixing flowers and incense together.
Variation one: add sandalwood.In some recipe texts' approach to Zhangzhong incense, sandalwood is added in addition to agarwood. When reconstructing, you can use 70% agarwood + 30% sandalwood; beyond the fruity note there is an extra layer of milky sweetness, making it more "bedchamber-like."
Variation two: add resins to fix the scent.The fruity note from pear juice has short longevity; you can add a small amount during grinding and blendingbenzoin or storax powder(3%–5%), which can significantly extend the staying time of the fruity note. This is a modern improvement, not found in ancient formulas, but the effect is indeed good.
Making two versions and smelling them in comparison is the fastest way to understand "coalesced floral fragrance."
Last year a graduate student studying Song ci poetry came to the shop; when we talked about Zhangzhong incense, she said something the shopkeeper still remembers to this day:"The most moving thing about this censer of incense is that it was originally meant for the night."
The incense in temples is meant to be seen by others; the incense inside the tent is only for oneself to smell. In his palace in Jinling, Li Yu would light a censer like this at night, the sweetness of pear juice covering the fierceness of agarwood—like a person hiding away all the sharp parts, leaving only the gentle side. Later he went to Bianjing, and that censer of incense probably could not be taken along.
Restoring ancient formulas—in the end, what you restore is actually a kind of situation. When you steam a censer of pear-juice agarwood according to the ancient method, what you smell is not only the fruit fragrance, but also the sleepless nights a monarch of a fallen kingdom spent inside his tent.
Want to make a censer of tent incense with your own hands? The shop has medium-grade agarwood strips suitable for steaming and matching materials; you can follow along and make it when you come to the store. If it's inconvenient to go out, call400-809-1913to request the restoration process and materials list.
Not necessarily. "Goose pear" is the name of an ancient pear variety, referring to those with large fruit, white flesh, abundant juice, and a clean taste; today it is difficult to identify its specific variety with certainty. When restoring, one should grasp the principle of "abundant juice, clean sweet taste, low acidity." Duck pear is best, Xuehua pear second; if you want to highlight the fruit fragrance, Xiangshui pear or Nanguo pear can be used. What should be avoided are varieties that are too sour or too sweet—the former will bring out a sour and astringent note, while the latter will overpower the agarwood.
Fruit-steamed incense naturally contains sugar, so it is indeed more prone to absorbing moisture and molding than ordinary incense pills. Three countermeasures: first,drying in the shade must be thorough(ventilated and away from light for 3–7 days; do not expose to strong sun or dry hastily); second, when putting them into a jar, place a small packet of food-grade desiccant inside and seal the jar mouth; third, store in a cool, dry place; during the plum rain season in the south, refrigeration is recommended. Once mold spots are found, discard immediately and do not burn them again—the odor produced by mold is harmful to the human body.
There are three common reasons: first,the agarwood was ground into powder, which turns into a paste after steaming, so the fruit fragrance cannot adhere (the original text "cut as large as a wick" requires cutting into strips); second,borneol was added while hot, so it all volatilizes at high temperature, and the "diffusive" quality of the fruit fragrance loses its support; third,insufficient sealing and storage, the pear-juice fragrance and agarwood are still like two separate layers; at least 14 days of sealing are needed for them to merge into one flavor. In addition, insufficient pear juice (not covering the incense strips) will also result in only a surface layer of fruit flavor.
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