Ancient fragrance has a new job, Jilin’s traditional fragrance art professional inheritance begins

China News Service, Jilin, September 12th. Title: Ancient fragrance has a new job. The professional inheritance of Jilin’s traditional fragrance art begins.

China News Service reporter Cang Yan Shi Hongyu

In an antique studio in Fengman District, Jilin City, Jilin Province, the fragrance of herbs lingers. Cao Yu, the representative inheritor of He's medicinal incense making skills, devotes himself to polishing the incense and passing on his experience to the apprentices on the side.

The masters and apprentices grind Changbai Mountain ginseng, mugwort, angelica and other authentic medicinal materials. The mellow and natural aroma is permeated, showing the daily production of ancient medicinal aroma in Jilin.

Cao Yu is making incense. Photo by Shi Hongyu

Recently, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and other departments released the eighth batch of new occupational information. "Incense and Perfumer Artist" has been officially included in the national new occupational system, providing an official professional identity for ancient incense-making skills, which will help improve the current situation of scattered inheritance of folk skills.

As one of the important inheritance sites of incense culture in Northeast China, Jilin City relies on the traditional Chinese medicine resources and intangible cultural heritage of the Changbai Mountains to lay the foundation for the development of this emerging profession.

According to the official definition, a fragrance maker is a professional practitioner who uses natural fragrance materials as core raw materials and uses techniques such as selection, processing, compounding, shaping, and storage to create fragrances. He is also a professional practitioner who is responsible for the practice and dissemination of fragrance culture.

Cao Yu believes that a clear professional system will help the development of industry standards.

Making high-quality fragrances is extremely difficult. In Cao Yu's studio, raw materials such as Chinese herbal medicines need to be carefully selected and undergo dozens of processes such as grinding, kneading, molding, drying in the shade, and finally being aged in the cellar. Cao Yu said that according to ancient recipes and inheritance, inheritors must strictly abide by the ancient rules: avoid tobacco, alcohol, onions, ginger, and garlic to keep their sense of smell sensitive.

At the recently held Third Northeast Book Trade Expo, Cao Yu led a team to demonstrate ancient medicinal incense techniques on-site, guiding citizens in making incense, creating an immersive experience, allowing visitors to experience the unique charm of Chinese incense culture.

Industry insiders believe that the current domestic "smell economy" continues to heat up and consumer demand is growing, and natural herbal fragrances have obvious advantages over chemical fragrances. The inclusion of "perfume-making and fragrance craftsmen" in the new national occupational system will help clarify the standards of the natural fragrance industry and promote the transformation of the traditional fragrance industry into standardization and specialization.

Fengman District, Jilin City, where Cao Yu is located, has a strong intangible cultural heritage atmosphere and a gathering of inheritance talents. The local government will rely on new occupation-related policies to gradually improve vocational skill standards, build a systematic training system, and solve problems such as fragmented inheritance of traditional skills and talent gaps.

Relying on its historical and cultural heritage and the cultural tourism consumer market, Jilin City, the "Northern River City", is promoting the integration of intangible cultural heritage and cultural tourism industries. At present, the inheritance people have developed a variety of fragrance cultural and creative products for young groups, launched a series of fragrances and mass experience courses, and brought the ancient fragrance culture into daily life. (over)