The founding of the Qin and Han dynasties unified the world, and the expansion of the country's territory allowed spices from the southern regions to enter the Middle earth, resulting in a significant increase in the types of spices used in the Central Plains region. During Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions and the opening of the Silk Road, there was an unprecedented fusion of Chinese and foreign cultures and commerce for the first time in history. A large amount of spices that are still in use today were imported from the Western Regions, South China Sea countries, and even Europe, such as sandalwood, agarwood, frankincense, cloves, dragon incense, etc. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, there began to be literature records about spices, and foreign envoys would also pay tribute of exotic spices to the imperial capital.



'Hexiang' is a characteristic of Han Dynasty fragrant products. Fragrance is no longer a single variety of fragrant medicine, but has emerged like traditional Chinese medicine formulas.



When making spices, they can be divided into single spice fragrances with only one spice and blended fragrances with two or more spices based on the distinction of several spices in a fragrance. The palace sorcerers began to use various fragrant herbs based on the theory of yin and yang, five elements, and meridians to prepare fragrant formulas to meet people's needs for different fragrances. The use of Hexiang not only develops the rich fragrance effect, but also produces more aromas. According to records, since the Western Han Dynasty, there have been attempts to mix various spices based on their characteristics, fragrances, and other factors, and to create a unique fragrance formula that is different from a single spice. By the Eastern Han Dynasty, not only were the types of spices used quite abundant, but the formulas for various fragrances were also highly refined, as rigorous as those for preparing medicinal herbs for treating diseases. The method of selecting rulers, ministers, assistants, and assistants with fragrant formulas, using the medicine dominated by the fragrance of fragrant formulas as the ruler; There are many medicines that nourish one's character; The medicine for integrating the environment is Duozuo; The medicine that promotes the compatibility of nature and destiny is often used as a supplement, and it is still determined by the nature and carefully considered.



The Book of Later Han once recorded the "Han Palace and Fragrance Formula", which specifically described and introduced the classic fragrance formulas of the Han Dynasty palace, as well as the preparation of fragrant medicines and the methods of mixing fragrance formulas. Unfortunately, it has been lost. From the perspective of the Han Dynasty incense formulas in historical records, the compatibility of incense formulas at that time was very rigorous, and the prescriptions were relatively large. It is mostly a grand formula consisting of one ruler, five ministers, nine assistants, and eighteen assistants. A pottery incense burner mixed with fragrant herbs such as Gao Liangfeng, Xinyi, and Maoxiang was found in Tomb No.1 of Mawangdui. This can be considered as the "earliest known fragrance".



 



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