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For Chinese people, the word xiang 香 connotes a catch-all for ‘fragrance, scent, aromatics, perfume, nectar, floral water, cosmetics, flavoring, and spice,’ referring to a broad group of substances. While xiang is commonly used in the West as a liquid or spray, in China it is most commonly used in solid, powdery, or blended forms. Cones, pellets, incense sticks, and coil are lit at their tip to release a fragrant vapor. Sometimes, perfume sachets are packed with fragrant herbs.
Chinaese fragrances reflect unique cultural taste. These fragrances are generally extracted in one of two ways. One way is quite similar to Chinese liquor making, involving the breaking down of plant matter through the use of steam. Then vapor produced through this process is cooled and condensed into a purified liquid. Another method is more commonly used, where materials such as withy aloe, clove, camphor and musk, etc., are pressed and ground. The powders produced in this way from plants’ flower, bark, stems, leaves, roots and other parts are then drenched in honey and mixed with wet rice powder to make ‘pastes’ .
- Princess Shouyang’s Plum Blossom Incense
Sparse branches cast slanting shadow upon the shallow pond,
faint fragrance floats silently around the misty moon.
Lin Bu (967-1028 CE), “Little Blossoms in the Mountain Garden”
Seen as a symbol of noble character, plum blossoms have been highly prized by Chinese literati for thousands of years. These scholar officials view blooms as imbued with a melancholy and soul-liberating air, while at the same time giving off a warm and musky, yet fleeting scent on cold spring days. They see themselves in this aroma: tranquil, reclusive, refined and noble. Today, we tell the story of the girl, Princess Shouyang, who invented a fragrance based on plum blossoms, helping it become a common household item from very early on.
Legend has it that little Princess Shouyang was particularly wild about plum blossoms, so much so that the Flower Goddess was touched by the girl’s avid devotion, imprinting the princess’ forehead with an image of the blossom. This later became a trend as an ornamental element of women’s facial makeup. This tale appears in the “Shixu bu时序部” chapter of the Taiping yulan 太平御览 [Taiping Reign-Period Imperial Encyclopedia]:
Princess Shouyang, daughter of the Emperor Songwu of the Southern Dynasty (420-589), was napping one day outside underneath the eaves of the Hanzhang Hall. On her forehead a plum blossom fell and left a five-petal flowery pattern which couldn’t be brushed off. The empress was amazed and suggested it not be removed or washed off for three days. Court ladies were first to imitate this phenomenon for cosmetic purposes. One after another, these women picked plum blossoms to paste on their foreheads for beautification. This is known today as plum blossom makeup.
This trend spred from courtly life to a wider audience. Common people started to follow suit by wearing so-called ‘plum blossom makeup,’ admiring Princess Shouyang as personification of the Goddess of Plum Blossoms. Since plum blossoms were not available year-round, women of the day came up with the idea of cutting gold foil into petal shapes. Only girls from noble families, however, had the luxury of adorning themselves with these gold ornaments. Gradually, other forms were adopted, such as rouge, paper, petals, fishbone, and seashell.
Wishing to enjoy the fragrance of plum blossom at all times, the Princess began consulting ancient incense recipes. She would experiment on auspicious days with various compositions of the fragrance, until one day she found the right formulation which was then named Princess Shouyang’s Plum Blossom Incense. People all praised her incense for its poetic and imaginative interpretation of plum blossoms in springtime. They also admired the techniques she developed for scent extraction, considering them quite unique and original.
- A Heartthrob’s Incense in Song Dynasty
These trees are not affected by the miasmal fog and mist.
The blossoms, like you, have the appearance of celestial beings.
Su Shi, “Plum Blossoms, Western River Moon”
Su Shi (1037-1101) , courtesy name Zizhan, meaning ‘looking forward,’ had an alias ‘Tieguan Daoren’’, meaning ‘Taoist who wears an iron hat,’ as Su Shi likened himself to a Taoist placing nature above worldly ‘dust.’ The poet strove for the attainment of gnosis. He was also known as ‘Dongpo Jushi’, meaning ‘Resident of Eastern Slope’, a name Su Shi gave himself whilst living as a lay Buddhist at a farm near the Eastern Slope. Su Shi is therefore often known by the name ‘Su Dongpo.’ Together with his father and brother, he is revered as one of the ‘Eight Masters of the Tang and Song.’ Besides being a poet and gastronome, he was also skilled in ci (a genre of chinese poetry), calligraphy, as well as painting and hydraulic engineering.
In the heart of most Chinese people, Su Shi is more commonly known for his literary achievements, rather than or being a legendary figure who concocted his own favorite fragrance. Whether working in official capacity or in exile, the scholar used incense as an aid and companion to reading, contemplation and meditation. While he vigorously inquired and carefully documented incense-making strategies, he was also among the first to incorporate incense into Song literati life as corroborated by the Ming (1368-1644) scholar Tu Long: ‘His kneading blends aromas of specific personalities. It is a great art form,and the aromas he blends are consonant with his own character. For him, appreciating incense is to ponder the impenetrable questions of life, fate and wisdom that only time will tell. Through scented vapors, he believes, the soul is liberated and one is transmuted to a spiritual level.’
A Spring Letter in the Snow
Su Dongpo created his incense recipe using ingredients to aromatically invoke spring, with an infusion of fresh blossoms. What was he trying to express with this incense? How did he turn to plum blossoms and snow? Let us better appreciate the beauty and art of Su Dongpo’s skill by answering these questions. We’ll examine cultural aspects of Chinese incense, while at the same time making deeper connections between Su’s fragrances and his difficult life story.
It is useful to know some context. First, China’s incense culture is very in tune with seasonal fluctuations. Each season provides distinct and signature smells. Winter is paradoxical, often used as a metaphor for frustration, while also signaling rebirth. Winter snow’s aroma is ethereal and watery fresh, giving a feeling of being somewhere in-between restraint and stagnation. Flowers, rain drops, and snowflakes, along with a plant’s color, form, texture, and aroma communicate a spiritual, aesthetic, and metaphysical semiotic. Use of winter plants in certain recipes is believed to suggest meanings such as staying healthy, nourishing the spirit, or revealing one’s status of mind and body. Thus, it’s quite natural for Su Dongpo to take delight in winterday plum blossom blooms. Plum blossoms connote a gentleman’s nobility, perseverance, and modesty. Its calming and cooling fragrance presages good fortune, sending a message of natural rhythm, vitality, perseverance, and rejuvenation. Snow is believed to have the property of covering everything, of comforting feelings, and of easing the harsh bitterness of past days.
Let’s go back in time to Su Shi’s demotion as local magistrate in Hangzhou. His government service earned him a good reputation, but he wasn’t always appreciated. He maintained distance from the court, and was eventually relocated to far-off places as a petty official. Misfortunes assailed him. Often framed and degraded, he was even sentenced to exile for alleged political crimes. He was frequently called back to the capital, along with other exiles. Upon banishment, Su Shi was left poor. He kept a positive disposition despite his situation. It is believed that his best poems were written during these periods of exile, quite possibly due to Su Shi’s love of place, people, and life.
The year 1090 was a severe and dreary one in Hangzhou, with snow, cloudy skies, and freezing rain. One morning a winter-chilled plum blossom scent struck a welcome contrast with bleak skies overhead. Bright pink and white petals sprouted from branches, and blossoms reassured all that warmer weather would indeed come.
Enchanted by clusters of soft and delicate flowers, Su Shi couldn’t help but inhale deeply. He sensed the cold, elusory, but pleasant smell in the air. Snow recalled all temporal change, isolation, illness, stagnation, and stress he’d been through in the past seven years. Plum blossoms, however, added much-needed color to his days of struggle. These blossoms heralded spring, alluding to new and better ways of living life. This bloom was fleeting, too. Suddenly he came upon the idea of keeping the scent, not letting it pass. He went back to his study to fetch a writing brush. He also took out an exquisite jade bowl from its delicate brocade box. The bowl had been a gift from the emperor. Su Shi then called his handmaiden Zhaoyun to take great care in collecting fresh snow from the pistils of blooming plum blossoms.
Su Shi then asked a boy attendant to retrieve some agarwood, sandalwood, clove, and patchouli from the incense cellar. He used the bristles of a Chinese calligraphy brush to spray a fine layer of pollen-steeped snow onto incense powders, bringing two fragrances to intermingle and come together. With time and effort, Su Shi was able to make his recipe exactly as imagined.
Chen shi xiang pu [Chen’s Book of Fragrances] records this incense formula: 5 parts agarwood, 2.5 parts white sandalwood, 2.5 parts clove, 2.5 parts Chinese ilex , 3.7 parts cape jasmine, 3.7 parts patchouli, 3.7 parts guaiac wood, 1 part angelica root, 1 part Uigur Cyperus rotundus, 1 part Chinese angelica, 1 part red nut sage, 1 part musk, 1 part Chinese cinnamon, one part betel nut, and one part cardamom. Grind all of the above raw materials, then mix them into honey.
The top aromatic notes of “Spring Letter in the Snow” are cold patchouli and herbal aromas mixed with highlights of white plum blossom. These notes are light, sweet, and spicy, diffusing quickly into the air. Middle notes are the milky aroma of sandalwood and warm benzoin, which diffuse more slowly, giving body and fullness to this recipe. To invoke a sense of magic and mystique, base notes of quiet, sweet agarwood combine all ingredients into one, providing the recipe’s longest lasting scents.
The Two Su Brothers’ Old Chess Game
The Song dynasty (960-1279) witnessed a new moral order built on a resurgent Confucianism. It was a time of a vigorous spirit and intellectual inquiry, producing immense scientific and artistic achievement. Xiang dao [the way of fragrances] is highly associated with literary activities taking place in the study at home, as well as out in the open, within pavilions and gardens. Scholars enjoyed company with literati as well as fragrance connoisseurs, whilst engaging in cultivated cultural activities such as playing the guqin, practicing calligraphy, and playing chess. All the while there would be boy attendants preparing incense at the table-top censer.
Er Su Jiu Ju [Su Brother Old Chess Game] is a formula designed by Mr. Chen Yunjun to commemorate two of the greatest Song dynasty poets, Su Shi and Su Che. Su Shi is a role model in Chinese culture, known as an enthusiastic, magnanimous, and free-thinking litterateur. His life was full of difficulty, but he never drowned in sorrow or regret. His younger brother, Su Che (1039-1112), was also a remarkable literary and political figure, quiet and reflective, good at using mild and roundabout ways to deal with matters. These two brothers were the closest of confidants. When appreciating this unique incense, one can easily think of two brothers seated on a day bed, with incense vapor wafting from a side-table burner, while the two have a great time trying to outwit one another at chess.
The Yan ju xiang yu [The Yan Family Book of Fragrances] details this formula. Take agarwood, sandalwood, frankincense and amber, each of a moderate amount, and grind them into fine powder. Then mix them with refined honey to form a soft dough. Scoop into even sized balls and wrap in dried jasmine flowers. The scents will improve through months of cellaring. Beginners love to try their hand at blending this recipe, as the ingredients are easy to get. There are also no hard fast rules about recommended amounts of each ingredient.
The blend of ‘Su Brothers’ Old Chess Game’ holds a bright green note of jasmine, with a rich and sweet floral aroma. Jasmine reflects the female principle of yin, which is generally calming and cooling, often used for relaxing the body and lowering emotional borders when engaging in intimacy. Amber creates a spicy, Asian, and powdery feel. Wood elements such as sandalwood, frankincense, and agarwood are associated with awakening and growth. Sandalwood gives a soft and sweet undertone that comes across as almost buttery. Frankincense has a pleasant, spicy smell, while agarwood unfolds over the course of hours, imparting a lasting fragrance both mysterious and intoxicating. This incense follows fengshui principles by cultivating both yin (feminine) and yang (masculine) energetics to restore balance and harmony.
- Madame Huarui’s Signature Incense
The king flies the white flag on the rampart.
From deep within the palace, how could I know?
One hundred forty thousand people all disarmed!
Was there not a single a man among them?
Madame Huarui, ‘Narrating the Fall of Shu’
Consort Xu (c. 940 – 976 CE) was born in Qingcheng (today’s Dujiangyan City). She was the concubine of Later Shu emperor Meng Chang, who bestowed on Consort Xu the title of Madame Huarui in homage to her beauty and chivalry. As a talented female writer, Xu left behind a legacy of more than one hundred Palace Poems by Madame Huarui as well as several fragrance recipes. In his poem ‘Yu xian ge’ [Song of Winged Immortals], Su Shi renders a scene where Emperor Meng Chang with his charming and flawlessly beautiful consort, Madame Huarui, sat together cooling off in the Water Palace. Su Shi sighs at the impermanence of life which leaves so much to waste. When the Song emperor Taizu defeated Meng Cheng, he captured Madame Huarui. Taizu had already heard of her fame as a poet, and thus asked her to compose a poem for him. Madame Huarui immediately drafted the famous poem, ‘Narrating the Fall of Shu’ to express her anger at the loss of her native country.
Peony and red gardenias are said to be Madame Huarui’s favorite flowers, thus Meng Chang ordered all households to plant them, saying, “Luoyang peonies are purportedly the best under heaven. I say that Chengdu peonies will soon replace those in Luoyang.” Red gardenia, also known as hibiscus, have large, brightly colored and bell-shaped flowers. When in full bloom, the city blazes with color and sweet fragrance. Thus Chengdu is known as the ‘Hibiscus City’ with Madame Huarui hailed as the Goddess of Hibiscus.
Madame Huari was probably one of the earliest to have daily used scented accessories . According to the Shi guo chun qiu [The Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten kingdoms] Madame Huarui and Meng Chang once ascended a tower, celebrating the full harvest moon and showing appreciation for bountiful harvests. She carelessly dropped her borneo camphor-scented silken fan, which fell down to the admiring crowd below. The crowd excitedly passed the fan around, admiring and complimenting the object for its beauty and delicious scent. Shu people started following her example by scenting their fans with borneo camphor, naming these fans as Xue xiang shan, [snow fragrance fans].
Madame Huarui’s signature incenses were allegedly the best in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907-960 AD) period. These fragrances were used primarily for purifying the atmosphere in Buddhist temple rites. Court ladies used them to profusely scent their bodies, while also permeating their clothing with fragrances through a smoking method using censer baskets. Madame Huarui created her fragrances largely through heat decoction and cold soaking methods. In this way she created natural wooden scents such as sandalwood, agarwood, camphol, and frankincense, as well as other aromatics such as musk and raw honey.
By: Huang Wen
