The Belgian Radio-Television of the French Community (RTBF) on March 1 broadcast a report on Quang Phu Cau incense-making village near the Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi, which is a favourite destination of Vietnamese people.

The report features mesmerising images of the village, which is famous for its incense business and nearly 3,000 local households living on this traditional craft. 

It said the village came into spotlight with a photo of colourful incense sticks being dried outdoors by a Vietnamese artist. The photo motivated the owner of 
Long Hoa company, which has been producing incense for more than 100 years, to come up with the idea of opening a photo tour for guests at a price of 4 EUR (4.26 USD) per person. On peak days, the village welcomes about 100 tourists and photographers.

During the tour, visitors and incense makers interact with each other, the TV report said, adding that the demand for incense in Vietnam and for exports is huge.

The incense-making process is also described in the report. Bamboo trees are cut into pieces and split into thin sticks. Then, they are dyed red or pink which are colours that Vietnamese people think bring good luck.

The report concluded that in Vietnam, incense is a part of spiritual life and a way to communicate with the afterlife as well as to pay respect to ancestors or to pray for simpler things like passing an exam./.