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A Century-Old Shop: Both Retro and Innovative
Shih Chin Yu Mu Xiang Zhai

Shih Chin Yu Mu Xiang Zhai is a century-old establishment that began in 1756. Starting from the original "Shih Chin Yu" brand, evolving into "Shih Chin Yu San Fang" (The Third Branch), and now "Shih Chin Yu Mu Xiang Zhai," the business has weathered generational shifts, family branching, and brand restructuring. Today, eighth-generation successor Shih Yeh-chih utilizes a resilience adapted to the times. By insisting on the heritage of the incense-making spirit and treating "retro" as a form of innovation, he has pioneered a new business model for this generation.
 
In the incense factory during the day, one constantly hears the sounds of masters lifting incense sticks, setting them down, fanning them out, and rolling them. Located in the bustling religious hub of Lukang, Changhua, Shih Yeh-chih says: "Our masters repeat these movements nearly a thousand times every day. They have been making incense for over 40 years; they are the people who watched me grow up."
 

Make Good Incense, Form Good Connections

 
"Make good incense to form good connections; burn good incense to reap good fruits" is the Shih family's ancestral motto. Reflecting on his mindset when taking over the business, Shih Yeh-chih says there was no resistance; it felt as natural as "the time having come." Near the age of 30, he followed the advice of Wen Wen-lung, a cultural history teacher at a community university, who suggested he return home to take over. Everything felt as though it were "preordained." He notes, "If I were only 20, I might not have thought this way."
 
His father, the seventh-generation Shih Chi-hsun, was the third child in the family, which was the origin of the name "Shih Chin Yu San Fang." During his father’s era, Taiwan’s economy was taking off. While the environment was prosperous when Shih Yeh-chih was born, the government began allowing the import of incense from Mainland China. Many competitors moved their factories abroad for investment. At that time, following his grandfather’s wish that "the Shih family must have its own factory in Lukang," his father refused to follow the trend and worked hard to protect his own piece of land.
 
In an environment where most incense is now machine-made, Shih Chin Yu Mu Xiang Zhai still insists on maintaining handcrafted steps by masters to preserve quality.
 
At the same time, due to high market demand, inferior spices began to appear on the market. During the seventh generation, whenever Shih Chi-hsun discovered that a supplier's raw materials had deteriorated, he immediately ceased all dealings with them. Shih Yeh-chih deeply admired this integrity. "I heard my mother say that under the impact of low-quality incense, the number of distributors dropped from five or six hundred to just two or three hundred within two years. My father endured such a difficult environment." This conduct is deeply rooted in Shih Yeh-chih’s heart. "You simply cannot bring those messy, dishonest things into the craft of incense," he says.
 
Shih Yeh-chih continues to immerse himself in the research and development of herbal incense, having developed nine distinct scents to date.
The secret to the success of this 260-year-old shop lies in following ancient methods, including sun-drying for three days to ensure a natural fragrance.
 
A Family Legacy of Natural Formulas
 
Taking over the family business once brought Shih Yeh-chih immense pressure. "If you manage it well, people say it’s expected because the brand is so big; if you fail, they say you’re a fool!" However, after returning to his ancestral home to pay respects five years ago, he began to rethink how to pass down this century-old legacy.
 
Natural spice formulas are the Shih family's heritage, but the test for Shih Yeh-chih’s generation is how to maintain this in the modern environment. Adjusting ingredients has become a major task; the formulas recorded in ancient books often differ from modern conditions, as some raw material names have changed or even disappeared. Consequently, Shih Yeh-chih invests a vast amount of time researching spices, cross-referencing ancient texts, and discussing with his father. He has also sought out new partners who share his values.
 
The "Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Health Incense Series" is currently the primary product of Mu Xiang Zhai. While studying incense manuals, Shih Yeh-chih discovered that early incense making was based on herbs and plants. Later, "agarwood" and "sandalwood" became the market mainstream, leading people to gradually overlook the benefits of other herbs. Seeing this as a pity, he began researching herbal fragrances.
 
During development, Shih Yeh-chih often struggled with internal contradictions. "With formulas, a tiny error can lead to a massive failure." He admitted he was hesitant to take this step, fearing it would be too revolutionary or niche. "The current economic environment is poor; we can’t afford a wrong move," he says. "My father’s generation went through a cutthroat price war. In this generation, the economy hasn't improved. Everyone is waiting for a rebound, but no one knows where the bottom is. All we can do is 'persist'."
 
Despite the constant tests, Shih Yeh-chih believes in "divine guidance." This includes a monk who sought out a "destined incense maker" among the crowd and gifted Shih Yeh-chih a secret herbal formula used for deity offerings, allowing him to improve it for a wider audience. He also adjusted his formulas after meeting a like-minded TCM merchant who suggested using tree root bark with fewer pesticide residues. All of these encounters have helped him walk a more stable path.
 
In 2015, international news further affirmed his path toward herbal development. While Mu Xiang Zhai was developing an incense called "Cang-zhu" (Atractylodes), a key component—Artemisinin—was discovered by Chinese scientist Tu Youyou to fight malaria, for which she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This news greatly encouraged Shih Yeh-chih, confirming that his persistence was correct. He has since continued his research, developing nine herbal varieties to date.
 
Despite the market competition and shifting trends when imports were first allowed, Shih Chi-hsun insisted on quality, laying the foundation for the stable development of the business.
Holding incense in silent prayer has become Shih Yeh-chih's most important daily ritual.
 

Brand Restructuring: Reflection Before Growth

 
From his ancestral pilgrimage five years ago to his current journey, Shih Yeh-chih has come to realize that what he inherited is not just a business, but a family mission. For the past two years, he has declined media interviews to focus on reorganizing the brand’s direction. He refuses to engage in price competition, insists on natural materials and manual processes, and continues to study incense manuals to develop diverse herbal series.
 
His sales channels have also expanded beyond temples and physical shops to include households and e-commerce, allowing direct contact with customers to ensure quality. In this generation, Shih Chin Yu Mu Xiang Zhai has gradually become a medium for communication between families and their ancestors, or even an elegant hobby for fragrance appreciation. This room full of fragrance is the carrier of over 260 years of intention, and it will continue to be passed down.
Incense sticks dried by the sun always produce a clearer fragrance than those from a drying room.
 
Shih Yeh-chih works incredibly hard, often quoting ancient books and incense manuals with the authority of a true master.
 
 
Source: 傳藝Online
 
 
 
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