AUTUMN HILLS · PLUM
AUTUMN HILLS · PLUM
DRY AUTUMN WOODS · A TRACE OF PLUM
Dry woods, herbs and an earthy edge come first. Within them, a sour-sweet note appears unexpectedly — reminiscent of plum, but never fruity or sugary.
There is no plum in the blend.
The plum-like sweetness emerges from the way Jiangzhen wood, cypress, spikenard and other aromatics meet in the formula — a new scent created through blending rather than added as a flavour.
The blend grows from the traditional Qingyuan Xiang (清远香) lineage. Our incense maker reworked its structure for the humid climate of southern China, moving the scent toward something drier, clearer and more open — closer to the feeling of crisp autumn air.
Best suited for:
- Larger, well-ventilated rooms, open spaces, balconies, courtyards and outdoor settings, where the woods, herbs and plum-like sweetness have enough room to unfold.
- Especially suited to daytime and outdoor use. Its herbal smoke is also traditionally used by the maker to help keep mosquitoes away, making it a natural fit for terraces, gardens and outdoor gatherings.
Core aromatic materials: Jiangzhen Wood · Cypress · Spikenard · Clove · Cinnamon
10 g · 32 sticks · 21 cm / 8.3 in long · 1.8 mm / 0.07 in diameter · approx. 45 min per stick
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Made in Qingyuan, Guangdong, China
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An autumn interpretation of Qingyuan Xiang
Qingyuan Xiang is a traditional Chinese blended incense. Here, Qingyuan describes more than a formula name: it suggests a scent that feels clear, open and able to travel through space rather than remain dense or close.
Our incense maker kept the structure of the traditional formula, while reshaping it toward his own idea of this “clear and far-reaching” quality. Musk was removed, considering its traditional contraindication in pregnancy, and cypress was introduced to give the woods a cleaner, more spacious structure. Cinnamon was added to soften the heavier character of spikenard and clove.
The result feels distinctly autumnal — dry woods, herbs and spice opening into something crisp, spacious and awake. Clove and cinnamon also give the blend a brighter, more awakening character. Here, qing is not only clarity in the air, but a sense of mental clarity as well.
There is no plum in the formula.
Yet when Jiangzhen wood, cypress, spikenard, clove and cinnamon burn together, a sour-sweet note appears between the woods and herbs — unexpectedly reminiscent of plum.
Nothing plum-scented has been added. It is a new aroma created by the materials meeting one another.
That is where the name comes from: Qiu Shan Mei Yi — autumn hills, with a faint idea of plum.
More than scent: Wei & Qi
Wei (味) is what the nose perceives. Qi (气) is the character of an aromatic material as it moves through the air and meets the person living with it.
In Chinese incense culture, aromatic materials have long been understood not only by scent, but also by qualities such as warm or cool, rising or settling, opening or gathering. These ideas come from the same tradition of materia medica that looks at how plants interact with the body and a person’s state.
This is also close to the Chinese idea of yang (养) — to support and nourish over time. The aim is not a dramatic immediate effect, but to choose aromas whose qualities feel in harmony with the person, so they can be lived with comfortably and beneficially over the long term.
In He Xiang, materials are therefore blended for both Wei and Qi. A scent may smell woody and bittersweet, yet feel warm and gently opening; another may smell floral, yet feel quiet and settling.
YINN chooses and recommends incense by both what you smell and how you want to feel.
Natural materials. Handmade form
YINN incense is made from natural aromatic materials and shaped by hand.
- Natural woods, herbs, resins and flowers
- Fine, slender incense sticks
- A relatively light incense body, allowing the aromatic materials to express themselves as they burn
- Handmade — slight curves and small variations are natural
- Natural colour varies with each formula
- Many materials can still be smelled before the incense is lit
- Made for scent and burn quality, not visual uniformity
How One Stick Is Made
Traditional He Xiang is made through a sequence of distinct stages. Drying is not the end — the incense still needs time to settle before it is ready.
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Sorting & Cleaning
Woods, herbs, resins and flowers are selected, cleaned and prepared before they enter the formula.
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Pao Zhi (炮制)
Different materials are treated differently. Depending on the material, this may include soaking, steaming, boiling, roasting or drying to prepare it for blending.
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Grinding & Sieving
Each prepared material is ground separately and sieved to the fineness required by the formula.
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Blending & Kneading
The powders are weighed according to the maker’s formula, blended with water and natural plant binder, then repeatedly kneaded and allowed to rest.
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Shaping & Shade-Drying
The rested incense dough is formed into fine sticks and slowly dried in a shaded, ventilated environment.
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Resting & Cellar Ageing
Drying is not the final step. The finished incense is rested and cellar-aged — traditionally described as qu xing (去性) and jiao cang (窖藏) — until the newly made incense has settled further.
How to Use the Box
The box is designed to become part of the incense experience. Once opened, it works as both the incense holder and the ash tray. Place it on a stable, heat-resistant surface, keep the room ventilated, and never leave burning incense unattended. Keep away from children, pets and flammable materials.
Set the holder
Open the box and place the fixing piece into its position inside the box.
Insert and light
Insert one stick into the metal holder. Light the tip, then gently blow out the flame and allow the glowing ember to burn.
Let it finish naturally
The ash falls directly into the box. When the burning incense reaches the metal head, it extinguishes naturally. Allow the ash and holder to cool completely before emptying the box.