Chinese Incense History: The Golden Middle Ages Part I (pre-Tang and Tang dynasties)
From war-torn courts to glittering capitals—see how incense blended ritual, scholarship, and global trade across early and high medieval China.
- How incense culture survived political fragmentation and surged in creativity (3rd–6th centuries)
- Why recipe books and markets exploded in the South—and what early “blending” meant
- How Taoism & Buddhism scaled incense into everyday devotion
- Why the Tang era became a high-water mark for palace luxury, poetry, and international trade
Chinese incense truly blossomed in the Middle Ages—a golden age for Chinese civilization itself. Knowledge and practice expanded dramatically, from grand ceremonies to everyday rituals.
This article covers early to high medieval China (3rd–10th centuries). For the origins (Neolithic to pre–Middle Ages), see the related links at the end; for later developments in the Song and post-Song periods, continue with the next installment.
Wei–Jin & Northern–Southern Dynasties (~220–580)
After the Han, China entered centuries of fragmentation. Yet despite the turmoil, art, philosophy, and religion flourished—so did incense. With Buddhism and Taoism spreading, fragrance anchored daily and devotional life.
Books, Markets, and the Rise of Blending (3rd–6th Centuries)
Building on Han-era trade, southern commanderies (like Rinan, in present-day Vietnam) formed active incense markets. Literature from the Three Kingdoms period shows that blended incense (和香) was already popular among connoisseurs.
In the Peculiar Goods of the South States (《南州异物志》), Wu Wanzhen records aloeswood, unguis odoratus, clove, frankincense, and more—advising that some are best used as enhancers in blends, clear evidence of sophisticated mixing.
By the Northern–Southern Dynasties (5th–6th c.), most of the incense ingredients known today had reached China, and compendia describing their properties began to circulate.
Book of Song
Although the original text is lost, the index of Blended Incense Recipes (《和香方》) is cited in surviving works such as the Book of Song (《宋书》).
Blended Incense Recipes 《和香方》 (c. 430 CE)
Often regarded as the first Chinese monograph devoted entirely to incense, it’s attributed to the historian–official Fan Ye (范晔). It reportedly analyzed ingredients, their strengths and weaknesses, and how to combine them—an early science of aroma. The text is lost, but later citations preserve its influence.
Palace Splendor & Elite Homes (3rd–6th Centuries)
Pre- and early-medieval palaces documented lavish use of incense. The Readings of the Taiping Era (《太平御览》引《齐书》) recounts the Marquess of Donghun decorating a favorite consort’s chambers with golden lotuses and perfuming rooms with musk. The Book of Chen (《陈书》) records residences adorned with aloeswood and sandalwood moldings.
Among private elites, displays of fragrant wealth were common. The Annals of Jin (《晋书·王敦传》) notes the courtier Shi Chong welcoming guests with aloeswood-infused water and unguis odoratus powder—handed by attendants in his bathhouse.
Taoism, Buddhism, and the Everyday Ritual
Taoism developed rapidly from late Han through the Northern–Southern period (texts like Yellow Court Classics《黄庭经》, Bao Puzi《抱朴子》, Zhen Gao《真诰》). By Tang, it enjoyed imperial patronage. Buddhism, introduced earlier, grew substantially; records suggest that by the 6th century, Nanjing alone housed over 10,000 monks.
In both traditions, incense supports focus and devotion. Taoist texts often ascribe protective and harmonizing qualities to fragrance; Buddhist rites pair incense with chanting and meditation. As these faiths spread, incense permeated society.
At the Summit: Sui–Tang (581–907)
With Chang’an (today’s Xi’an) the world’s largest city of its time, Tang China projected power and culture across Asia. Poetry, music, craft—and incense—thrived in a cosmopolitan capital.
Across the Sea: The Origins of Japanese Incense
Incense likely reached Japan via Chinese Buddhism in the early 6th century. The first formal record (595, Tang) notes a log of aloeswood/agarwood washing ashore on Awaji Island and presented to Prince Shōtoku and Empress Suiko—an omen that would blossom into Japan’s refined incense arts.
Global Routes: Tang-Era International Trade
Han-era Silk Road trade expanded in Tang with major sea routes. Canton (Guangzhou) emerged as a key international port, home to large expatriate communities—Persians, Arabs, Jews, and South/Southeast Asian merchants among them. Along with people came an abundance of aromatics to complement domestic output.
Perfumed Courts: Inside the Sui–Tang Palaces
Availability fueled extravagance. The classic incense compendium History of Incense (《香乘》) recounts that Sui Emperor Yang lit tens of aloeswood fires on New Year’s Eve—each enriched with unguis odoratus and musk—reportedly consuming hundreds of cartloads of wood and thousands of kilos of blended aromatics through the night.
Incense stood at nearly every rite—ancestor prayers, funerals, state occasions. Court sessions placed a censer and a dedicated incense table (xiang’an) before the Prime Minister and senior officials.
One famous (and likely embellished) tale concerns the celebrated beauty Yang Guifei, said to have masked a strong body odor with an elaborate daily regimen: baths infused with 14 ingredients, robes heated over incense, aromatic cosmetics, a waist-hung censer, and even an incense bead under the tongue—while attendants fanned her with perfumed fans. Extravagant, yes—but incensed baths, cosmetics, and belt censers were indeed common in elite chambers.
Tang elites also hosted “incense battles” (斗香)—gatherings where participants compared prized blends. The practice later influenced Heian-period Japan.
Artifacts from Famen Temple (Shaanxi) show opulent palace wares: a gilt gold-and-silver burner with turtle and lotus motifs—nearly 12" (30 cm) across—crafted for imperial use.
A modern copy of the Famen Temple burner. The untarnished gold and silver are striking, though the copy can’t match the original’s intricate workmanship (e.g., lotus relief on the handle).
Texts describe entire structures built with aromatic materials. In Miscellaneous Notes of the Ming Emperor (《明皇杂记》), Zheng Chuhui mentions a palace pagoda made entirely of aloeswood. The semi-fictional Records of Kaiyuan and Tianbao (《开元天宝遗事》) describes Yang Guozhong’s four-incense pavilion—aloeswood framework, sandalwood balustrades, musk and frankincense walls.
Poetry & the Fragrant Imagination (Tang Shi)
As supply grew and prices fell, incense became a daily ritual for scholars. Tang poetry—China’s lyrical apex—often imagines scent as landscape. Du Fu writes: “Thunder escorts the rain over a thousand peaks; the blended fragrance of flowers rises like an incense of a hundred ingredients” (雷声护送千峰雨，花气浑如百和香).
Onward to the Song
If Tang marked an economic zenith, the Song became a cultural one. Incense would gain even finer aesthetics, manuals, and salons—stories for the next chapter.
You may also want to know
Quick Timeline Recap (3rd–10th Centuries)
- Wei–Jin & N–S Dynasties: Trade hubs in the South; recipe culture & blending take off.
- Texts: Blended Incense Recipes (c. 430, lost) influences later manuals.
- Devotion: Taoism & Buddhism scale everyday incense rituals.
- Sui–Tang: Peak cosmopolitanism; palace luxury; “incense battles.”
- Trade: Silk Road + sea routes; Guangzhou as international port.
- Culture: Poetry and arts transform scent into metaphor and mood.
FAQ
When did incense blending become mainstream?
Sources indicate by the 3rd–6th centuries, blends (和香) were common—particularly in southern markets and literati circles.
How did religion change incense use?
Taoist and Buddhist rituals normalized daily incense—pairing fragrance with chanting, meditation, and temple offerings.
Why is the Tang considered a high point?
Unprecedented urban scale, global trade, and court patronage made aromatics abundant and socially central—from palaces to poetry.