The traditional craft of making huong bai incense is not only a livelihood passed down by ancestors, but above all, it is a symbol of the cultural flow of village and family culture nurtured through generations.
The traditional craft of making huong bai incense in Quang Ninh
Huong bai incense is indispensable during the Tet holidays for every Vietnamese family. Its fragrance evokes nostalgia and love, calling to mind a warm atmosphere of reunion—a scent that anyone far from home remembers. The gentle, distinctive aroma is made from natural ingredients such as bai roots, cinnamon, star anise, licorice, cloves...
The huong bai plant. Photo: Vinmec.
Depending on each region, the recipe for making huong bai incense varies, but the indispensable ingredient is the root of the bai plant. In Binh Lieu District, Quang Ninh Province, the huong bai plant thrives in this forest region.
Dried bai roots. Photo: Mai Dung.
The purchasing period for bai plants usually begins in November each year. After being purchased from locals who harvest them in the forest, the bai roots are washed clean, sun-dried, and then pre-processed.
The ingredients are finely ground. Photo: Mai Dung.
Bai plants in Binh Lieu grow completely naturally on hills and in forests; it takes about 3 years for the plants to produce roots that meet the standards for making huong bai incense.
Besides bai roots, incense makers in Binh Lieu also use cinnamon, star anise, and sugarcane bagasse in the production process. All are sun-dried, finely ground, and then mixed together in specific proportions.
Cinnamon bark used in huong bai incense. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
The process in the craft of making huong bai incense is not overly complicated, but it has certain trade secrets, especially blending the aromatic ingredients, which must follow exact proportions and ensure high precision, otherwise it will affect the fragrance and burning quality of the incense.
Binh Lieu locals harvesting star anise. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
After weighing the aromatic ingredients to exact proportions, the incense powder mixture is poured into a mixer, where water is gradually added while mixing so that the incense attains the necessary moisture and stickiness for rolling. Today, with the support of machinery and equipment in certain stages such as grinding, mixing, and rolling the incense, the craft of making huong bai incense in Binh Lieu achieves high productivity, bringing in a good income.
Drying incense. Photo: Lao Dong Newspaper.
The incense sticks are rolled with a paper layer to tightly bind the bai powder inside. Photo: Mai Dung.
The incense bundles are dried in the sun for 1 to 2 days and then packaged. During the drying process, close attention must be paid to the temperature to avoid breakage. On days lacking sunshine, incense makers must place them into a drying machine and dry them for 5 hours at a temperature not exceeding 45°C.
After drying or sun-curing, with the finished incense ready, the final stage is inspecting, removing substandard incense sticks, and packaging before bringing them to market.
Incense sticks are indispensable during Tet. Illustrative photo: Lao Dong Newspaper.
Huong bai incense products utilize raw materials available in Binh Lieu, creating jobs for local residents while supplying the market with quality-standard incense that contains no chemicals to protect consumers' health.
Every time a stick of huong bai incense is lit, the subtle, pleasant aroma of the aromatic ingredients stirs excitement and warmth in people's hearts, making Tet all the more cozy.
The scent of incense smoke lingers in the subconscious of every Vietnamese person. Photo: Tuoi Tre Newspaper.
Although today, the craft of making huong bai incense in Binh Lieu is pursued by only a portion of the local population, cultural values are still preserved. The fragrance of huong bai incense naturally continues to permeate and linger in the heart of every Vietnamese person.
