Every traveler, even you, has noticed this small fragrant stick, if not by directly seeing it, your nose will have picked up its light smell when walking in some houses, temples, pagodas and other monuments. As it seems it’s such a small item, but its lifetime is still very complex and it holds a very important position in Vietnamese society.

First of all, let’s remember what incense is; a thin stick of bamboo covered with a resin of Sandalwood which is finally used during many ceremonies and rituals of the daily life of Vietnamese people. Therefore, here is its life and the story of its production in Hue.

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Hue, former capital of Vietnam and center for the Nguyễn Dynasty, first developed North of the Perfume River, around Kim Long and Thien Mu Pagoda. Then, it moved around the Royal Palace and the fortified city around the waterways and the canals.

During the Indochina Era, French settled on the southern bank of the river and many monuments, often ignored by the tourists, provide evidences of their former presence. Today, most of those monuments are nationalized and occupied by various city departments.

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