Incense Culture(香学) Sages · Volume Navigation
Incense culture(香学) did not come from nowhere; it was passed down burner by burner, generation by generation. This collection arranges those who wrote about incense, made incense, and discoursed on incense into a lineage, to see what each of them left behind.
Volume Contents
- Bai Juyi's Incense: From "Red Clay Small Stove" to Xiangshan Jushi
- Bai Juyi: Poet and Chinese Incense Culture(香学)
- Chen Dasou: Literatus and Chinese Incense Culture(香学)
- Chen Jing: Incense Scholar and Chinese Incense Culture(香学)
- Ding Wei: Politician, Incense Scholar, and Chinese Incense Culture(香学)
- Dong Yue: Adherent-Scholar, Novelist, and Chinese Incense Culture(香学)
- Du Fu: Poet and Chinese Incense Culture(香学)
- Fan Ye: Historian and Chinese Incense Culture(香学)
- Hong Chu: Scholar and Chinese incense culture(香学)
- Huang Tingjian: Poet, Calligrapher and Chinese incense culture(香学)
- Jianzhen: Eminent Monk and Chinese incense culture(香学)
- Ji Han: Botanist and Chinese incense culture(香学)
- Li Bai: Poet and Chinese incense culture(香学)
- Li Yu and the Palace Incense of Southern Tang: Incense in the Bed Curtains and Scented Bathing Robes
- Li Yu: Last Ruler, Lyric Poet and Chinese incense culture(香学)
- Mao Xiang: Literatus and Chinese incense culture(香学)
- Ouyang Xiu: Literary Master, Historian and Chinese incense culture(香学)
- Shen Li: Scholar and Chinese incense culture(香学)
- The Agarwood Bond of Su and Huang: The Exchange of Incense between Su Shi and Huang Tingjian
- Su Shi's Incense: From a Censer of Incense to the Rhapsody on the Agarwood Mountain
- Su Shi: Literary Master, Calligrapher and Painter, and Chinese incense culture(香学)
- Tang Xianzu: Dramatist and Chinese incense culture(香学)
- Wang Anshi: Statesman, Man of Letters and Chinese incense culture(香学)
- Wang Wei: Poet, Painter and Chinese incense culture(香学)
- Wang Yi: Scholar and Chinese incense culture(香学)
- Ye Tinggui: Scholar and Chinese incense culture(香学)
- Zhou Jiagui: Incense Scholar, Collector and Chinese incense culture(香学)
- Zhu Quan: Prince of Ning, Master of Tea and Incense, and Chinese incense culture(香学)
This section andVarious Authors on Incenseconnect: the worthies examine the person, the various authors examine their discourses. Beyond the biographical sketches, this site also offersAnnotated Translation of the Xiangchengfor comparative reading.
Incense Culture(香学) Sages · Volume Navigation
The following Q&A is compiled from content on this site for quick reference; all descriptions of the medicinal properties of incense materials reflect traditional understanding and do not constitute medical advice.
Who is referred to as the "Sage of Incense"?
Generally it refers to Huang Tingjian of the Northern Song dynasty; because of his "Ten Virtues of Incense" and his many works praising and discussing incense, later generations of incense practitioners revered him as the Sage of Incense. Su Shi, Ding Wei, Zhou Jiazhou and others are also key figures in the history of incense culture(香学).
Who is the author of Xiang Cheng?
Zhou Jiazhou of the late Ming dynasty; the book has twenty-eight volumes and gathers the great achievements of incense products, incense formulas, incense matters and incense writings of successive dynasties, making it the culminating work of Chinese incense culture(香学). This site already has translations and annotations of all twenty-eight volumes.
Can the sages' incense formulas still be made today?
Most of the incense materials used in the formulas are still available today, but some ingredients involve protected species and must be replaced with compliant sources; when recreating them, pay attention to open-flame and ventilation safety. Content on this site does not constitute medical advice.