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Incense in China is traditionally used in a wide range of Chinese cultural activities including, religious ceremonies, ancestor veneration, traditional medicine, and in daily life. Known as ''xiang'' (), incense was used by the Chinese cultures starting from Neolithic times with it coming to greater prominence starting from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties.〔劉良佑，《香學會典》，臺北：(東方香學研究會 )，2003〕 One study shows that during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – AD 220 ) 〔Needham, Joseph and Lu Gwei-Djen (1974). (''Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology; Part 2, Spagyrical Discovery and Invention: Magisteries of Gold and Immortality'' ). Cambridge University Press. p. 132.〕 there was increased trade and acquisitions of more fragrant foreign incense materials when local incense materials were considered "poor man's incense".〔Schafer, Edward H. (1963). ''The Golden Peaches of Samarkand, a Study of T'ang Exotics''. University of California Press.〕 It reached its height during the Song Dynasty with its nobility enjoying incense as a popular cultural pastime, to the extent of building rooms specifically for the use of incense ceremonies.〔 Besides meaning "incense", the Chinese word ''xiang'' (香) also means "fragrance; scent; aroma; perfume; spice". The sinologist and historian Edward H. Schafer said that in medieval China: ==Chinese censers== Words meaning "censer; incense burner" are compounds of ''lu'' (爐 or 炉) "brazier; stove; furnace", which was a category of ancient Chinese bronzes. ''Xianglu'' (香爐, with "incense") means "incense burner; censer" in general. ''Xunlu'' (熏爐, with "smoke; fumigate; cure (food) with smoke", or 薰爐, with "fragrance (of plants); an aromatic grass, ''Eupatorium fortunei''") means "small censer, esp. for fumigating or scenting clothing". ''Shoulu'' (手爐, with "hand") means "hand-held censer; handwarmer; portable charcoal stove". The ''boshanlu'' (博山爐 "universal mountain censer"), which became popular during the era of Emperor Wu of Han (r. 141 - 87 BC), displayed a microcosmic sacred mountain (esp. Mount Kunlun or Mount Penglai). These elaborate censers were designed with apertures that made rising incense smoke appear like clouds or mist swirling around a mountain peak.〔Erickson, Susan N. (1992). ("Boshanlu: Mountain Censers of the Western Han Period: A Typological and Iconological Analysis" ), ''Archives of Asian Art'' 45:6-28.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Incense in China」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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