LanDeng

Chinese botanical incense · 香 · 熏香 · 合香

澜灯 LanDeng

A quiet, research-led knowledge platform for Chinese botanical incense: its materials, botanicals, history, terminology, craft and culture.

Incense smoke rising from a dark ceramic censer on a dark wood table, warm amber glow

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What is Chinese botanical incense?

A direct answer before a catalog

Chinese botanical incense is the craft of shaping and heating fragrant plant materials — woods, resins, flowers, herbs and spices — into sticks, cones, powders, sachets and other traditional forms. The focus here is knowledge first: each ingredient begins with what it is, how it is made, how it is graded, and how to tell quality from adulteration.

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Ingredients

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ingredient

沉香 chénxiāng

Agarwood (Chen Xiang) — What It Is, Grades & How to Tell Real from Fake

Aquilaria spp.

woody · resinous · sweet · complex

ingredient

龙涎香 lóngxiánxiāng

Ambergris (Long Xian Xiang) — The Animal-Derived Fixative

Physeter macrocephalus (sperm whale) — an animal secretion, not botanical

marine · sweet · earthy · waxy

ingredient

白芷 báizhǐ

Angelica (Bai Zhi) — The Aromatic Herbal Root

Angelica dahurica

herbal · aromatic · sweet-bitter · slightly spicy

ingredient

安息香 ānxīxiāng

Benzoin (An Xi Xiang) — The Sweet Vanilla-Balsamic Resin

Styrax tonkinensis (Siam); Styrax benzoin / S. paralleloneurus (Sumatra)

sweet · vanilla · balsamic · woody

ingredient

龙脑 lóngnǎo

Borneol (Long Nao) — The Camphoraceous 'Dragon Brain' Aromatic

Dryobalanops aromatica (natural d-borneol); also Blumea balsamifera (l-borneol); plus synthetic borneol

camphoraceous · cooling · minty · woody

ingredient

菖蒲 chāngpú

Calamus (Chang Pu) — The Spicy Aromatic Rhizome (With a Safety Caveat)

Acorus calamus (and related Acorus spp.)

herbal · spicy · sweet · earthy

ingredient

雪松 xuěsōng

Cedar (Xue Song) — A Woody Note With a Naming Problem

Cedrus spp. (true cedar); note 'cedarwood' often = Juniperus virginiana

woody · clean · slightly sweet

ingredient

菊花 júhuā

Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua) — The Herbal-Floral Flower of Tea

Chrysanthemum morifolium (and C. indicum)

floral · herbal · bittersweet

ingredient

桂皮 guìpí

Cinnamon (Gui Pi) — Chinese Cassia, and the 'Cinnamon vs Cassia' Distinction

Cinnamomum cassia (Chinese cinnamon/cassia); cf. C. verum (Ceylon cinnamon)

warm · spicy · sweet

ingredient

丁香 dīngxiāng

Clove (Ding Xiang) — A Warm Spice Note (and a Naming Trap)

Syzygium aromaticum

spicy · warm · aromatic

ingredient

乳香 rǔxiāng

Frankincense (Ru Xiang) — The Aromatic Resin of Ritual & Incense

Boswellia spp. (B. sacra, B. serrata, B. carterii)

resinous · citrus · earthy · creamy

ingredient

茉莉 mòlì

Jasmine (Mo Li Hua) — The Sweet Flower of Chinese Tea & Fragrance

Jasminum sambac (and other Jasminum spp.)

sweet · floral · heady

ingredient

艾草 àicǎo

Mugwort (Ai Cao) — What It Is & Its Role in Chinese Tradition

Artemisia spp. (A. argyi, A. vulgaris)

herbal · bitter-green · camphoraceous

ingredient

没药 mòyào

Myrrh (Mo Yao) — The Bitter, Balsamic Resin

Commiphora myrrha (and other Commiphora spp.)

balsamic · earthy · bitter · medicinal

ingredient

陈皮 chénpí

Orange Peel / Chenpi (陈皮) — The Aged Mandarin Peel

Citrus reticulata (aged mandarin/tangerine peel)

citrus · bittersweet · woody

ingredient

桂花 guìhuā

Osmanthus (Gui Hua) — The Sweet Chinese Flower of Fragrance & Tea

Osmanthus fragrans

sweet · floral · apricot · honey

ingredient

广藿香 guǎnghuòxiāng

Patchouli (Guang Huo Xiang) — The Earthy East-Asian Incense Leaf

Pogostemon cablin

earthy · woody · balsamic · spicy

ingredient

松香 sōngxiāng

Pine Resin (Song Xiang) — The Woody-Balsamic Tree Resin

Pinus spp. (rosin / colophony from pine oleoresin)

piney · woody · balsamic · resinous

ingredient

玫瑰 méiguī

Rose (Mei Gui) — The Sweet Floral of Tea, Perfume & Incense

Rosa rugosa (Chinese rose); also Rosa damascena

sweet · floral · romantic

ingredient

檀香 tánxiāng

Sandalwood (Tan Xiang) — What It Is, Species & Traditional Use vs Modern Evidence

Santalum album (and other Santalum spp.)

creamy · sweet · soft · woody

ingredient

枫香 fēngxiāng

Sweetgum (Feng Xiang) — The Sweet-Balsamic Resin

Liquidambar formosana (Chinese sweetgum); cf. L. orientalis (storax)

sweet · balsamic · resinous · warm

ingredient

岩兰草 yánláncǎo

Vetiver (Yan Lan Cao) — The Deep, Earthy Root Note

Chrysopogon zizanioides (syn. Vetiveria zizanioides)

earthy · woody · smoky · warm

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LanDeng labels traditional knowledge and modern evidence separately, names sources, and shows open questions rather than hiding them.

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