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Print Report
Tracing "Cross-Strait Legacy Brands" Series — No. 51
Changhua’s "Shih Chin Yu Incense Shop": Making Good Incense to Form Good Connections
Issue: 2015-06-27 | Page 08
Over 300 years ago, when residents from the Fujian and Guangdong regions crossed the treacherous "Black Ditch" (Taiwan Strait) by boat to escape war and famine, they brought with them the tablets of their ancestors. Holding incense in their hands, they prayed silently toward the heavens for a safe journey. Thus, incense—viewed as a symbol of the continuing family flame and a medium for communicating with the heavens—took root and flourished in Taiwan. Today, while multi-generational incense shops can be found from north to south, those that have operated for over 200 years are few and far between. The Shih Chin Yu Incense Shop in Lukang, Changhua County, is one of those rare few.
Established in 1756 (the 21st year of the Qianlong reign), the shop is owned by the Shih family. Their ancestors hailed from Xicen in Quanzhou, Fujian. After crossing the sea to settle in Lukang during the Kangxi reign, they made their living by producing incense. During the Qing Dynasty, Lukang was a vital commercial port in central Taiwan, and its residents were deeply devoted to religious activities. Temples were built so frequently that it was said there was "a small temple every three steps and a large temple every five steps," creating a massive demand for incense. Situated near the City God Temple, Mazu Temple, Xinzu Temple, and Sanshan King Temple, Shih Chin Yu benefited from an ideal location. Combined with superior quality derived from ancestral formulas, the business thrived. Now in its seventh generation, its reputation remains untarnished.
According to the proprietress of the shop, Hung Bao-chen, Shih Chin Yu produces various types of incense, including stick incense, large coils, small coils, "lying" incense (joss sticks), and incense cones. The primary raw materials are agarwood and sandalwood; agarwood is the most precious, followed by sandalwood.
Hung explained that agarwood is precious mainly because agarwood trees grow in deep mountains. One must wait for the tree to decay, revealing the agarwood formed by the accumulation of resin, before it can be harvested. Due to its scarcity and the fact that it grows in remote areas inhabited by wild beasts, it is expensive and must be imported from places like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Because of its high value, some unscrupulous businesses have emerged in recent years, soaking wood in chemical fragrances to deceive consumers.
However, Hung noted that while counterfeit agarwood can be made to look remarkably realistic, the scent produced upon burning is worlds apart from the genuine article.
She stated that among the various products made by Shih Chin Yu, stick incense used for ancestral worship and deity offerings has the highest demand. The production process involves five steps:
Blending the powder: Each shop usually has its own secret formula, primarily using sandalwood or agarwood mixed with other aromatics.
Creating the "incense meat": Evenly adhering the incense powder onto bamboo sticks.
Sun-drying: Spreading the sticks evenly on wooden racks to dry.
Dyeing the "feet": Bundling the dried incense and dipping the bare bamboo handles into a dye vat to turn them red.
Final drying: Removing the sticks from the vat and placing them in an open area to dry completely.
"Making good incense to form good connections has always been the core philosophy of Shih Chin Yu," said Hung. Over the past 200 years, the shop has endured various wars, the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, and the post-war restoration of Taiwan, yet its business philosophy has never wavered. (Reported by Gao Yang)
Source: People's Political Consultative Daily
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