Preserving the incense making profession in the Western region of Nghe An

These days, visiting the incense craft village of Quy Chau commune, (Nghe An), the atmosphere of Tet seems to be coming in every corner of the village. The warm, pure scent spreads throughout the space, mixed with the bustling sounds of families working hard to deliver goods in time for the peak season.

In village 2, Quy Chau commune, Mrs. Tran Thi Loan’s incense production facility is one of the typical highlights of the craft village. During peak season, her facility has from 20 to 30 workers working continuously every day, not to mention dozens of households in the area receiving raw materials to make at home to increase income.

People in Quy Chau commune are actively producing incense to meet year-end orders. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

Ms. Loan shared: “Every year, the facility starts the season from the end of September to the twelfth lunar month. But the preparation of raw materials must be done from February . The main ingredients include vetiver root, sugarcane bagasse, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, cloves, licorice and a little agarwood… All are carefully selected so that when burned, the incense gives off a gentle fragrance, not harsh, not irritating to the eyes.”

In the past, Quy Chau incense was mainly made to serve the worshiping needs of the people during Tet, but now, the product has become a commodity with high economic value, widely consumed in and outside the province. Currently, the whole commune has 38 households working in the profession, creating jobs for nearly 500 workers, with an income of 250,000 to 300,000 VND per working day.

The first important step of cutting the incense sticks is to create straightness and uniformity for each incense stick. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

Ms. Ha Thi Tuyet, a worker who has been working in the profession for more than 5 years, happily said: “Tet season is the busiest time. Although we work day and night, everyone is excited because they have extra income, enough to provide their families with a warm and full Tet holiday.”

Not only providing a stable source of livelihood for the people, the incense making profession also contributes significantly to the economic development of the locality. Thanks to the family secret preserved through many generations, Quy Chau incense still affirms its own position in the market.

Each incense stick is wrapped carefully and meticulously. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

In 2025, incense production in Quy Chau was more active than every year. Facilities focused on diversifying designs, packaging was designed to be eye-catching, meeting consumer tastes. Along with that, promoting products through social networks such as Facebook, Zalo or local trade fairs has helped the Quy Chau incense brand become more and more known.

After being rolled, the incense is carefully packed in bags, ready for sale. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

Mr. Tran Bao Linh - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quy Chau Commune, shared: In the coming time, the commune will continue to focus on building and developing the OCOP incense brand, striving to upgrade existing products. Currently, the whole commune has 6 households producing 3-star OCOP standards, creating an important premise to expand production scale. In addition, the locality is also planning the area for growing incense roots, the main source of raw materials for the incense making profession to proactively supply and ensure product quality, aiming at sustainable development for the craft village.

For a long time, Quy Chau has been known as the “capital of incense” of Nghe An. This traditional profession not only helps many farming households become well-off, but also becomes a typical product contributing to the development of local cultural tourism . Every spring, the traditional incense-wrapping technique of Quy Chau people is also performed at the Hang Bua Festival, one of the typical cultural activities of the Western Nghe An region, attracting a large number of tourists to visit and experience.

Taking advantage of the sunny weather, people dry incense paper before using it in the process of making incense. Photo: CSCC

Amidst the modern pace of life, Quy Chau incense still has a lasting vitality, like the soul of the mountains and forests of Nghe An. The incense bundles created by the skillful hands of the artisans here not only bring the flavor of Tet reunion, but also multiply the spirit of preserving traditional crafts in the heart of Western Nghe An .

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Source: https://baonghean.vn/giu-nghe-huong-tram-o-mien-tay-xu-nghe-10311270.html