On the way to Tu Duc tomb and Vong Canh hill, visitors may drop by Thuy Xuan and discover the local famous craft. In the village, tourists have a chance not only to make sticks of incense themselves, but also to understand more about local life.
Thuy Xuan incense has its distinctive fragrance and high quality. Incense-making is considered as local main means of livelihood. It is said that generations of villagers have lived and breathed in it. Although hand-made incense requires hard work, it seems to be sold at a disproportionate price. No matter how hard their life is, locals still welcome visitors with big bright smiles.
Entering the village, visitors can smell the incense filled in the air. The first step to make incense is selecting 05 materials, namely cinnamon, cardamom, clove, anise and eucalyptus. They are well mixed with water. Then, the incense “dough” is coated around thin bamboo sticks taken from Nam Dong district, Binh Dien commune or Phong Son commune. Then, incenses are dried under the sun. Compared to today modern method, this traditional one takes more time and effort. However, it maintains local tradition. Thuy Xuan incenses come in various scents such as cinnamon, lemongrass essential oils, etc. Thanks to environmentally-friendly and healthy materials, local incenses are bright yellow in color and have a pleasant smell. At first, bamboo sticks are only painted brown or red. Nowadays, they come in a variety of colors such as purple and yellow.
Eye-catching stick of incense incense(Photo: internet)
In addition to incense, locals now sell souvenirs such as lacquered paintings, fans and brocades. In the past, Thuy Xuan incense only serves domestic demand. Today, it is exported to foreign countries. Thuy Xuan incense becomes a special cultural tradition which has been passed from generations to generations and unceasingly developed.