Intangible Cultural Heritage Preservation
The safeguarding entity for the Fujian Province intangible cultural heritage item “Techniques for Producing Health-Promoting Incense”
The protection entity for the Quanzhou City intangible cultural heritage item of traditional medicine, “Boshantang Herbal Topical Therapy for Health Preservation”
The “Art of Crafting Health‑Preserving Incense” is a proprietary technique of Quanzhou’s “Boshantang” (now known as “Chenyu Xiang”). This craft comprises two components: the medicinal formulas for health‑preserving incense and the processing methods used to produce these incense products.
Time-Honored Herbal Remedies for Health Preservation
It is the product of a harmonious fusion between the essence of traditional Chinese incense culture and that of traditional Chinese medicine, seamlessly integrating the principles of medicinal formulation from TCM with the time-honored aromatic‑medicinal blending techniques passed down by Boshan Tang. By drawing on the best of both traditions and leveraging their complementary strengths, the resulting incense formulas not only deliver a delightful, nose‑pleasing fragrance but also confer health‑promoting benefits. Only through the meticulous formulation outlined in “Four Principles of Zhangshui” and the careful selection of herbs as prescribed in “Five Elements of Eloquence” can one craft truly efficacious, health‑enhancing incense prescriptions.
Processing Technology for Health-Promoting Incense Products
It is a sophisticated and meticulous set of techniques for processing aromatic medicinal materials. Although aromatics and medicines share a common origin, they differ in their nature, qi, and flavor; thus, special craftsmanship is required to transform them into health‑promoting incense products. Boshandang’s preparation methods, rooted in the传承 of the “Six Methods of Qingchi,” enhance the efficacy of aromatic herbs. Meanwhile, the “Twelve Techniques of Boshan” represent a series of production processes that refine these herbal ingredients into finished, marketable products.
The craftsmanship of Quanzhou’s health‑preserving incense blends ancient traditions with contemporary innovation, drawing on China’s millennia‑old aromatherapy heritage. It embodies the cultural DNA and spiritual essence of the Chinese nation, carries forward the historical memory of the Maritime Silk Road and Quanzhou’s multicultural legacy, and possesses significant cultural‑historical as well as medical‑scientific value. As such, it holds practical relevance for the study of both the Maritime Silk Road culture and Minnan culture.
Boshan Hall’s Proven Formulas and Daoist Methods — “The Four Principles of Zhangshui”
“The Four Principles of Zhangshui” was founded by Lin Zhangshui, the first-generation inheritor, and subsequently refined and expanded over three generations, giving rise to a systematic theoretical framework for the formulation of aromatic medicines.
The “Four Principles of Zhangshui” refer to a set of formula‑establishing guidelines developed during the process of formulating aromatic medicines. These guidelines, grounded in the compatibility theory of “sovereign,” “minister,” “assistant,” and “guide,” specify the functional roles and divisions of labor among the individual aromatic herbs within the prescription.
The Boshantang Classification of Incense and Medicinal Herbs—“Five-Element Braided Materials”
The “Five‑Element Method for Identifying Materials” is a time‑honored technique for assessing the quality of incense and medicinal herbs, passed down through Boshantang. It was systematized by the fourth-generation inheritor, Zhuang Yanyu, who evaluates the quality of these substances across five dimensions—qi, aroma, form, texture, and nature. This method serves as the foundational step preceding Boshantang’s twelve meticulous production processes and stands as the first line of defense in ensuring the superior quality of its incense products.
Traditional identification of the quality of aromatic medicinal materials relies on empirical expertise. The Five‑Dimensional Material Differentiation Method systematizes and standardizes these criteria, enabling precise differentiation of origin, grade, authenticity, and quality through a comprehensive assessment across five dimensions, thereby ensuring the superior quality of aromatic herbs used in medicine.
The Method of Distinguishing Qi
Qi, or aroma, is the most essential criterion for identifying fragrant medicinal materials. Assessing qi primarily involves evaluating the following aspects:
Methods of Flavor Discrimination
Taste refers to the flavor perceived on the tongue. The five tastes correspond to the properties of medicinal substances and serve as an important basis for determining the nature, taste, and meridian tropism of aromatic herbs.
Methods for Identifying Forms
Form, referring to the morphology, appearance, texture, and cross‑sectional characteristics of a medicinal material, serves as an important basis for identifying its variety, place of origin, and harvest time.
The Method of Identifying Quality
The nature of a medicinal substance—its four natures (cold, hot, warm, and cool) and its ascending, descending, floating, and sinking properties—serves as the basis for formulating herbal combinations. Quantity.
The Method of Discriminating Nature
The nature of a medicinal substance—its four natures (cold, hot, warm, and cool) and its ascending, descending, floating, and sinking properties—serves as the basis for formulating herbal combinations. Quantity.
Boshantang’s Daoist Preparation Method—“The Six Methods of Qingchi”
The “Six Methods of Qingchi” were established by Lin Qingchi, the second-generation inheritor, and constitute a method of preparing medicinal herbs used in the production of Boshantang’s health‑preserving incense.
The “Six Methods of Qingchi” primarily comprise the six techniques of “stir-frying,” “soaking,” “boiling,” “steaming,” “dissolving,” and “fermenting.”
“The ‘Stir-Fry’ Technique” of the “Six Methods of Clear-Pot Cooking”
The “stir-frying” process for aromatic herbs is carried out over low heat; high heat should be avoided. By stir-frying, the herbal ingredients reduce excess volatile compounds, alter their properties, or lower their moisture content.
“The ‘Soaking’ Method of the Six Principles of Clear Pool”
The “soaking” method for preparing aromatic herbs involves immersing the herbs to be processed in a specific decoction at room temperature, thereby achieving effects such as removing fishy odors, modifying their properties, reducing dryness, gentle conditioning, softening and moistening, and enhancing aroma.
“The ‘Boiling’ Method of the Six Principles of Clear-Pool Brewing”
The “boiling” method of preparing aromatic herbs involves placing the herbs to be processed in a specific decoction and simmering them, thereby enhancing their medicinal potency, eliminating off‑odors, and reducing toxicity.
“Steaming” in the “Six Methods of Clear-Well Cooking”
The “boiling” method of preparing aromatic medicines involves steaming or fumigating the herbs together with specific auxiliary materials, allowing the active constituents of these auxiliaries to be absorbed by the target medicinal ingredients or to soften them.
“Dissolution” in the “Six Methods of Clear Pool”
The “solubilization” method for aromatic herbs involves dissolving the herbs or combining them with special materials to form a liquid, which is then subjected to layering or blending to either extract specific constituents from the herbs or achieve their integration.
“The ‘Fermentation’ of the ‘Six Methods of Clear Pool’”
The “fermentation” method for aromatic herbs involves grinding the herbs into a powder and allowing them to ferment naturally under specific conditions, or mixing them with yeast for fermentation.
Boshan Hall’s Craftsmanship and Daoist Methods — “The Twelve Paths of Boshan”
“The Twelve Processes of Boshan” refers to the twelve stages of the Boshan Tang health‑preserving incense‑making technique, namely: determining the formula, selecting materials, purifying materials, processing, preparing the base material, blending ingredients, kneading the clay, allowing the fragrance to rest, shaping, air‑drying, sealing the jar, and aging in the cellar.
Ding Fang
Material selection
Processing
Compatibility
Material preparation
Mixing materials
and ingredients
Awakening Fragrance
Molding
Yin dryness
Seal the tank
Cellar storage
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The Art of Boshantang’s Herbal Topical Therapy for Health Preservation The Boshantang Aromatic Herbal Topical Health‑Preserving Method consists of two main components: “aromatic herbs or essential oils” and “qigong palm‑thumb massage applied to the twelve meridians and acupoints of the human body.” Its underlying principle is rooted in the guiding‑and‑nurturing school of Chinese medicine, which emphasizes the four key elements of “concentrating essence, nourishing qi, preserving spirit, and consolidating yang.” This method delivers three major benefits: “aromatic stimulation opens the orifices, promotes circulation, and resolves blood stasis, thereby enhancing metabolic and immune functions; it helps reshape the body, balancing tension and relaxation to alleviate physiological imbalances; and it calms the mind, addressing psychological obstacles.” |
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