"A lot of people who search for the fragrance of incense find the place," Badan Sumbo said as he lit a stick of Tibetan incense. Slender blue smoke glided softly from the core of the incense as Badan Sumbo fanned it with the palm of his hands, closed his eyes, and sniffed, enjoying the ensuing peace of mind and body.
Badan Sumbo has been attached to Tibetan incense since he accidently encountered it at age 17. At that time, he would hang around the medicinal herb markets of Xining, capital city of northwest China's Qinghai Province, and Chengdu, capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province, whenever he could, asking about incense materials and looking for spices.
To this day, 30-year-old Badan Sumbo has only created three major types including nine subtypes of Tibetan incense, which are not very many, but he believes that "the threshold for making Tibetan incense is low, so it's easy to get started, only by studying for a long time can someone understand the essence of it and make something truly unique."
While passing down the heritage of Tibetan incense, modification is also required. Badan Sumbo said that many people cannot accept the thick fragrance of traditional Tibetan incense, especially in hot and humid coastal areas.
Badan Sumbo's incense sticks are much thinner than traditional ones, and the fragrance is much milder.
In addition to incenses, beautifully carved beads that are strung into bracelets or decorated with tassels are also popular with the public.
"The response from people has completely exceeded my expectations. Though there have been difficulties along the way, I am very confident in my products," Badan Sumbo said.
