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The Top Fragrance of Lukang: From Ritual Offerings to Lifestyle Products

 
In the incense-making industry, where one’s livelihood depends on nature and materials are incredibly precious, Shih Chi-hsun (施起燻) refuses to let a single speck of ingredient go to waste.
 
The Top Fragrance of Lukang
From Ritual Offerings to Lifestyle Products
 
Without a glamorous storefront or fancy decorations, the 248-year-old Shih Chin Yu Incense Shop attracts customers from all over Taiwan. Even prominent figures like Lee Teng-hui and Chang Yung-fa have made special trips to Lukang, all for a single stick of incense.
Seventh-generation successor Shih Chi-hsun remains undeterred by the aggressive competition of low-priced incense from Mainland China. He insists on handcrafted production using genuine materials, wholeheartedly selling only the finest agarwood (chen-xiang) and sandalwood. His son, eighth-generation successor Shih Yeh-chih (施燁志), has helped expand distribution channels, create innovative products, and launch online sales. Together, they have transformed incense from a ritual offering for the pious into a lifestyle product for the general public, opening up an infinite market for incense.
Report by Shih Hui-ming | Photography by Huang Ching-feng
On a warm winter morning in Lukang—a place where it rarely rains—the weather is clear. 
Master Tung Pao-lung, who has 19 years of experience in incense making, has been focused on his craft since 8:00 AM. His face and body are covered in incense powder, but he doesn’t mind at all, completely immersed in the world of fragrance.
Watching over the process is Shih Chi-hsun. Trained by his father since childhood to have a nose keener than a dog’s, he can distinguish real wood and spices with a single sniff. Pulling a piece of agarwood that looks like a black fossil from his pocket, he says: "Old agarwood is a treasure unearthed from the ground after geological shifts. It has undergone hundreds or even thousands of years absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. It is much more precious than sandalwood, which is harvested after only 60 to 100 years. It is considered the ultimate grade of incense."
 
Old Shop Agarwood, Sold Online
Carrying the heavy responsibility of a century-old shop, Shih Chi-hsun dares not be negligent. In addition to securing the existing mid-to-high-end market, he often travels across the island to seek new opportunities, carrying a packet of agarwood powder to recommend to wholesalers. His son, Shih Yeh-chih, joined the family business immediately after graduating from Pingtung University of Science and Technology. He is preparing to take over as the eighth-generation successor by helping his father expand channels and develop new products.
"Young people have more ideas. He suggested selling on auction websites, and this move indeed attracted many young customers," Shih Chi-hsun says, praising his son’s initiative. "Some of them aren't even Buddhist, but they buy our coil incense and incense cones because aromatherapy is popular now. However, many essential oils contain chemicals. Since we follow ancient methods to produce pure agarwood and sandalwood, we are a rarity. The youth market is well worth developing." He believes that the "Golden Brand" of a century-old shop needs the impact of the new generation to endure.
Shih Chi-hsun recalls that after retiring from the Military Police in Taipei, the city’s prosperity was as tempting as a "naked woman." At the time, he was determined not to return home, hoping to develop a career in Taipei. He once passed exams to be a TV actor and a tour guide, and even had his appendix removed to prepare for a life at sea. Unexpectedly, his father issued a command and brought him back home to take over the family business. To his great relief, his own son has now volunteered to return and help manage the shop.
According to Shih Chi-hsun, the first-generation founder, Shih Fa, lived near the Mazu Temple in Quanzhou, where the family started making and selling incense. Later, they moved to Lukang, Taiwan—also a place of flourishing worship—and established the fame of this century-old shop. The business reached new heights under the leadership of his father, Shih Yi-han. 
 
Top-Grade Agarwood: 600,000 TWD per Catty
Since taking over from his father, Shih Chi-hsun says: "The secret my father taught me is that being a good buyer is more important than being a good seller. Because raw materials like ancient agarwood are increasingly hard to find, I started collecting them 20 years ago."
He notes that a report four years ago showed Taiwan consumes 680 tons of agarwood a year. Additionally, prices have been driven up by Arabs from Kuwait. Because they rarely bathe, they use the fragrance of agarwood to mask body odors, purchasing large quantities of old agarwood to extract essential oils. High-quality agarwood can cost up to $600,000 TWD per catty—enough to buy an SUV.
In recent years, traditional Taiwanese handmade incense has been hit hard by low-priced competition from China. However, after evaluation, the shop found that by maintaining quality, they could retain a loyal mid-to-high-end clientele despite higher prices.
"Scented candles and diffusers are popular now, but many contain chemicals I’m afraid to use. I used to think only mothers bought incense for worship, but after visiting the shop in Lukang, I realized they have joss sticks and coil incense perfect for young people," says Mr. Wu, an engineer from Hsinchu Science Park. "Work pressure is high; lighting agarwood at home really helps with relaxation and stress relief. Many of my colleagues have become loyal customers." He adds that the lingering aroma of real agarwood is incomparable to ordinary synthetic scents.
 
International Interest
Recognizing the preference for coil incense among office workers, Shih Chi-hsun consulted his son on how to expand the youth market. Leveraging his son’s experience with online auctions, they began selling products on the web.
"We originally targeted office workers, but this borderless sales method attracted international customers—even people from South Korea and Thailand called to inquire," says Shih Chi-hsun. He notes that the internet has unlocked a massive potential customer base. Once, an American tourist in Lukang became fascinated with their coil incense, discovering that Chinese incense isn't just for worship—it can be enjoyed daily.
To further boost competitiveness, the son has proposed developing new scents using Chinese medicinal herbs like ginseng and mugwort. They hope to diversify the business, upholding the legacy of the century-old shop while creating a new legend.
 
Source: 蘋果日報
 
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