On the occasion of the Spring Festival, many people will grab the "head incense" to pray for protection. Burning incense has long been an indispensable way of worshipping gods in eastern beliefs, and many families and industries in Macao still retain the habit of burning incense. Due to its huge use, Shenxiang industry became one of the traditional handicrafts in Macao in the last century, and was listed as one of the three major handicrafts alongside firecrackers and matches.
In the mid-1950s and 1970s, Macau's incense industry once replaced the dominant market position of the mainland, when there were more than 40 large and small incense factories, of which the largest first promoted Chen Lianxin, Liang Yongxin, Yong Ji Xin and Yong Chang Ji Xiang Zhuang, collectively known as the four major manufacturers.
The incense of the past was basically made by hand
In the past, the production of sacred incense was basically made by hand. Among them, "rubbing incense", made by the workers one by one, first mixed with the bran and incense powder and then poured into the basin to rub, after rubbing to a certain viscosity, the workers hold the bamboo sticks stained with glue, and keep rubbing on the board full of incense powder and gum until the incense powder dipped in the bamboo branches reaches a certain thickness.
Shenxiang industry has become a traditional handicraft industry in Macau
"Drizzling incense" is a mass production method, the workers first put the incense bone into a large bucket filled with water, so that 80% of the whole incense bone is moist, creating stickiness, and then the pre-prepared incense powder and glue powder are mixed with water into a paste, and then a bunch of bamboo branches are attached to the front end by hand, and inserted into the pulp in a radial manner, and then taken out. If it is repeated three times, at this time, the incense powder pulp dipped in the bamboo branches has reached a certain thickness, and after it is dried in the incense field, the process of making incense is completed.
In the 1950s and 1970s, Macau's incense industry replaced the mainland's dominant market.
With the change of the times, the function of incense has gradually changed, slowly entering people's daily lives, and even creating a more leisurely space and interest for a tense life.