(VOVWORLD) - Using herbal ingredients gathered from forests, the Tay people in Pac Nghe hamlet, Cho Ra commune, Thai Nguyen province, have developed and sustained a traditional incense-making craft for decades. Closely linked to their spiritual life, the craft preserves Tay culture while providing a stable income for local households.
 Tay ethnic women in Pac Nghe hamlet have well preserved the traditional incense making craft. (Photo: Cong Luan) |
In the courtyard of Ms. Duong Thi Ly’s home, the aroma of incense bundles drying in the sun draws passersby. Ly’s family has practiced the craft since the 1980s. Like many other Tay women, she uses the leisure time between harvests to make incense for extra income.
Ms. Ly told VOV that the work is not too strenuous and can be done year-round. During Tet, the Lunar New Year, when demand peaks, her family can earn several hundred US dollars. “My family has been making incense for 40 years. People buy incense for funerals and death anniversaries and to burn during Tet. During Tet we earn much more,” Ly recalled.
 Drying incense before packaging it for sale on the market. (Photo: Cong Luan) |
Pac Nghe hamlet has 170 households, mainly Tay ethnic people, and 20 are currently engaged in incense-making. Ms. Nong Thi Hue, who has devoted half a century to this craft, recalls watching her mother and grandmother making incense when she was a child. Women who marry into the village without prior knowledge of the craft are taught to make incense so the community’s cultural heritage can be passed on.
To distinguish their incense from factory incense and incense from the lowlands, locals call it “Tay incense”. It’s made entirely from forest herbs that are dried and ground into powder. As a result, Ms. Hue told us, their incense has the distinctive scent of mountains and forests. “We use kiu trees from the forest, forest leaves, and decayed wood or mulch to make incense. The materials are brought home, dried, and ground. We cut wood from large khao trees, grind it, and dry it carefully so the incense is non-toxic and lasts a long time without molding,” according to Ms. Hue.
Natural ingredients combined with meticulous craftsmanship at every stage clearly differentiates Pac Nghe’s Tay incense from other products on the market. As a result, consumers trust and use Tay incense for rituals and Tet. Many wholesalers travel to the hamlet to buy incense. During the year-end season, households often increase their output 150 to 200%.
Chi Van Kien, head of Pac Nghe hamlet, said, “Many households in Pac Nghe have been making incense for a long time, especially toward the end of the year when production peaks for Tet. Customers buy it and resell it throughout the province. Thanks to incense-making, many families have improved their life, built a new house, and bought a vehicle.”
 The incense-making craft helps local residents have a better life. (Photo: Cong Luan) |
In recent years, Pac Nghe has received strong support from National Target Programs on New Rural Development and Sustainable Poverty Reduction. Local authorities and agencies at the commune and province level have taught residents about branding and packaging to increase their market competitiveness.
Some households have been connected to retailers and cooperatives to help them establish stable sales channels. The State has built a 3-kilometer paved road to Pac Nghe to facilitate the transport of goods and support expanded production.
Local resident Ms. Nong Thi Nga said, “In the past, muddy roads made it difficult to transport materials or incense and traders were reluctant to come here. Since the State supported the construction of a paved road under the National Target Program, travel has become much easier. Motorbikes and small trucks can now reach our homes, trade is much busier, and the villagers are very excited.”
Pac Nghe’s Tay incense has gradually established itself as a signature mountain product. Closely tied to the spiritual life and customs of the Tay people, the craft creates jobs, boosts local incomes, and helps preserve the local cultural identity.