Home » Feature » Art and Culture
Incense of intellectuals
Print Edition
UNTIL the early 20th century, incense was an integral part of Chinese intellectual life for a long time.
Myriad famous poets and scholar-officials have written about the beauty of incense in their pursuit of a life detached from materialism.
For ancient men of letters, burning incense meant both pleasure and meditation. Huang Tingjian (1045-1105), a calligrapher and scholar-official in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), called himself an “addict to incense.”
In the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, renowned scholars, however poor they were, would not live without burning incense or drinking tea — two things long believed to reveal noble tastes.
Of all the great ancient poems and prose dedicated to the beauty of incense, the one written by Tu Long (1543-1605), a well-known scholar in the Ming Dynasty, sums up its appeal.
When detached hermits sit down and discuss moral issues, lighting incense will cool their hearts and minds;
When one feels lonely and lost in wee hours, lighting incense will soothe mind and body;
When one writes calligraphy by the window, recites rhymed articles, or reads books at night, lighting incense will boost the spirit and prevent one from becoming sleepy;
When a man and his better half are together and talk in private, lighting incense in a burner placed in their interlinked hands will deepen their passion toward each other;
When one gets up from a nap at noon, sits by the window and drinks tea while it rains outside, lighting incense will please the body and soul;
And when one awakens from being drunk at a feast and plays qin to the bright moon and the high mountain, it’s most proper to light incense and see it dancing around curtains and reaching near and far at will, driving away evils.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
