Incense Making

Incense sticks are said to provide a sacred bridge between the life of human beings and the spiritual world of Heaven. They have an important significance in the spiritual life of many Asian countries, including Vietnam. The process of making incense sticks is a skilled craftmanship that you can witness in Phia Thap village, a village of Nung ethnic minority people in Quang Uyen district of Cao Bang province. The knowledge of how to make incense sticks has been passed on from generation to generation and all the 51 families in the village are skilled incense makers. During your visit in Phia Thap village, you can try to produce your own incense sticks under the guidance of a local craftsman. A memorable experience not to be missed. The sticks are cut from bamboo wood and then first soaked into water. The incense maker then takes around 25 sticks into the hands and whirls the wet sticks in a pile of leaf powder until sufficient amount of powder sticks to the incense. The sticks are then soaked in water again and whirled in a pile of wood powder. The two types of powder stick together thanks to the adhesive properties of the leaf powder. The leaf powder gives the incense the characteristic aromatic smell when burning. The incences are then exposed to the sun on a frame. Wind and sun will help to dry the sticks. Unlike some other villages no chemical substances are used in the production of incense sticks in Phia Thap. The special odour of natural herbs will stay for a long time and provide a beautiful scent when burning.

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