Long Thanh Bac incense village, located in Hoa Thanh town (Tay Ninh), has long been famous for its colorful incense drying roads, exuding a gentle fragrance, creating a rare and unique feature.
Not only a traditional craft village, Long Thanh Bac Incense Village is also an attractive destination for tourists and photographers thanks to the eye-catching images of incense bundles spread out in the sun.
Located near the Tay Ninh Holy See, the craft village has existed for hundreds of years, playing an important role in the local economic and cultural life.
In August 2024, the incense making profession in Tay Ninh was officially recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, marking an important turning point in the preservation of traditional craft villages.
According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Tay Ninh, the incense making profession is not only concentrated in Hoa Thanh town but also present in Trang Bang, Go Dau, Duong Minh Chau, Tan Bien districts and Tay Ninh city.
Inside the factories, workers meticulously select each toothpick, removing those that do not meet standards before processing.
Incense sticks are made from bamboo, split and dried to ensure good powder adhesion.
In the past, incense making relied mainly on manual methods. Workers used cotton leaves as a binder, combined with incense powder to create rustic aromatic incense sticks. However, with the development of technology, producers gradually switched to using bark of the Litsea tree - a material with higher adhesiveness, and at the same time applied machinery to increase productivity.
Sharing about this change, Ms. Le Ngan Tam, owner of an incense production facility in Hoa Thanh town (Tay Ninh) said: "Although the manual incense making method is still maintained, the application of machinery has significantly increased efficiency and reduced hardship for workers."
One of the characteristics of Tay Ninh incense is the main colors of yellow and brown. To create standard incense sticks, the craftsman must collect cotton leaves, dry them and grind them into a fine powder.
This mixture is then mixed with water and cinnamon powder or agarwood, creating a gentle, pleasant fragrance.
After being dried in the sun, the incense is bundled into bundles (1,000 sticks), packed in boxes and distributed. The selling price depends on the raw materials, with regular incense ranging from 35,000-55,000 VND/bundle, and agarwood incense from 300,000 VND to several million VND/kg.
Despite its hundreds of years of history, the incense-making profession in Tay Ninh is facing many challenges. Previously, during peak seasons such as the Lunar New Year, the streets in this hundred-year-old incense village were always bright with colors and scents, the atmosphere was bustling with laughter. However, the number of households making incense has now decreased significantly.
The main reason is that the incense making profession does not bring in high income, while the people who follow the profession are mainly middle-aged and elderly. Young people are less interested in the profession, instead choosing more stable jobs.
Mr. Ho Van Hieu (67 years old), a craftsman with nearly 40 years of experience in making incense in Long Thanh Bac hamlet, Hoa Thanh town, Tay Ninh, worries: "This profession is at risk of disappearing over time. We still maintain it, but it is not certain that the next generation will continue. Preserving the traditional profession is becoming increasingly difficult."
Despite being recognized as an intangible cultural heritage, the preservation of incense making in Tay Ninh still faces many difficulties. Localities have had a number of support policies such as providing capital to buy raw materials and tools, as well as organizing training courses to improve production skills. However, these programs have not been implemented regularly, leading to many limitations in attracting young workers.
Ms. Le Ngan Tam said that since the incense making profession was recognized as an intangible cultural heritage, many customers have begun to pay more attention to the origin of the products. “Previously, incense produced in Tay Ninh was not clearly distinguished from that produced in other places. But now, buyers pay more attention to the origin and quality of the products. However, to create a true Tay Ninh incense brand, there needs to be close cooperation between producers and local authorities,” Ms. Tam said.
One of the biggest challenges for incense makers today is the weather. “We dry incense outdoors, so if it rains a lot, production is affected. The factory can produce about 100kg of incense a day, but during the rainy season, the quantity drops significantly,” Ms. Tam added.
Faced with current challenges, preserving craft villages not only preserves traditions but also promotes local economy and culture. Craftspeople need to innovate technology, improve quality and develop sustainably, contributing to making incense making a highlight in Tay Ninh culture and economy.
Source: https://plo.vn/ve-tham-lang-huong-tram-nam-tuoi-di-san-van-hoa-tay-ninh-post838584.html
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