Vietnam's incense tradition draws Instagram crowds

Quang Phu Cau, near the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, is known around the world as the "incense village." Every morning, tens of thousands of dyed incense sticks are arranged and set out to dry in the sun. For three generations, the family of Dang Thi Hoa has been dyeing incense sticks scarlet red or magenta pink ahead of Vietnam's new Year festival, known as Tet.

But today, Dang Thi Hoa and other families living and working in Quang Phu Cau are now also dying incense sticks in yellow, blue and green, catering to visitors who like to snap photos for Instagram or other social networks.

"Our village has become a hot spot for tourists," said Hoa, 45, who has been crafting incense sticks for three decades. The villagers make a relatively good income from the selfie takers. For 50,000 dong (about €1.80/$2), tourists can take as many photos as they like with the stick display. The incense sticks themselves cost just 50 cents for a pack of 20.

The production process involves chopping bamboo branches to feed into a whittling machine, dipping the thin strips into buckets of colorful incense and then fanning the sticks out like a bouquet of flowers to air dry. Business is booming — not only in traditional Asian temples, but also in yoga studios around the world.

As the new year approaches in Vietnam, incense stick production is in full swing. Traditionally, they are lit by worshippers in temples or at home altars. The colorful sticks are also a must at weddings and other celebrations.

Even during peak season, someone is always available to supervise visitors. "I assign one or two people to help visitors find the best angle for photos and to make sure they don't mess up the drying of the sticks," Nguyen Huu Long, owner of the workshop, told the Agence France Presse news agency.

In front of a village temple, hundreds of bundles of colorful sticks lay in the sun to dry — arranged in the shape of a giant Vietnamese map and flag. "I am proud of our family's traditional craft... and also feel happy as our village has become more well known," said Dang Thi Hoa happily. "I am also earning more." And the tourists also seem to appreciate the hard work.