Philosophy of Fragrance (IV)

IV. Constructing a Dialogue Scene of Sino-Arab Spice Civilizations

1. **Shared Wisdom of Fragrance Use**
– Arabs prepare ‘Taif perfume’ with rose water, while the Chinese blend Kynam into ‘Spring
Message in the Snow’; seemingly different formulas, yet both pursue ‘healing the soul with the
fragrance of nature’—just like dates and lychees, though grown in different lands, are equally
sweet as honey.
– In Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace, there is a Kynam incense box gifted by the Ming Dynasty
Emperor Jiajing to Sultan Suleiman, inscribed in Arabic with ‘Fragrance knows no borders.’ When
the Ottoman court ignites Kynam, the smoke intertwines with the aroma of Turkish coffee,
marking the gentlest encounter between Eastern and Western civilizations.
2. **Resonance in Contemporary Scenes**
– Today, in Dubai’s spice market, Arab perfumers add Kynam shavings to ‘Bouza’ ice cream,
allowing the Eastern woody scent to dance with saffron and pistachios; or during the wedding
‘Henna’ ceremony, they use Kynam incense to scent the bride’s sari, making this fragrance from
Kynam a blessing that transcends oceans.