Xishui Benzoin Incense

Xishui Benzoin Incense

　　Benzoin incense, also known as epidemic-preventing incense, is a secret formula originally created by the Wu Linmao Incense Shop in Xishui County. It was first made in the 18th year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty (1838). This incense not only has a refreshing fragrance but also offers benefits such as invigorating the spirit, relieving fatigue, repelling mosquitoes, preventing epidemics, dispelling odors, reducing summer heat, stimulating appetite, and promoting sleep. A poem praises it: “Renowned across the land as the finest incense, musk and agarwood can’t match its fragrance. It boosts the appetite, lifts the mood, refreshes the spirit, dispels odors, drives away insects, and cools the summer heat.” In 1938, this incense won a gold medal at the Panama International Exposition, received three awards at the Nanyang Industrial Exhibition, and was honored with a golden plaque declaring it the “Finest Incense Under Heaven.” After the liberation, the secret recipe for making this incense was lost. Today, Xishui County has located skilled artisans and is organizing the revival of its production. (Xishui)