I am very fond of Chinese culture and have long heard the term "Xiang Dao" (incense culture), but I know very little about its specific meaning. In daily life, I have never truly encountered any traces of "incense." In Russia, I have never seen an incense shop and know nothing about mysterious items like incense tablets and incense beads. However, on September 27, 2024, I was fortunate to participate in an event that quietly unveiled a corner of the mystery of Xiang Dao for me. This event was the first Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Culture Market held in the Italian Style Town of Tianjin, themed "Rising Tide of Tianjin, National Essence for Health."

During this event, I not only witnessed the charm of many practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine but also met several TCM experts. However, what impressed me the most were the incense products. Initially, I mistakenly thought that incense was similar to Western perfumes, but after further exploration, I discovered that the two are actually quite different. I gained a wealth of knowledge from this event and developed a strong interest in incense, prompting me to visit an incense shop to experience the joy of making incense myself.

During the incense-making process, I gained a deeper understanding of Xiang Dao and a more intuitive grasp of Chinese medicine culture. I learned that the scent of incense has great benefits for our physical and mental health, with different incenses emitting their own unique fragrances. In the blending process, our skin comes into close contact with the ingredients, allowing the scents to absorb our skin's aroma, which makes the incense we create uniquely ours. This experience felt magical and deepened my love for this cultural industry.

I sincerely hope that more people can understand and personally experience Xiang Dao as a unique cultural industry, feeling the joy and distinctive charm it brings.

Video and article provided by Sofiia Balunova

Translated by Eva Yin