The Custom of Burning "Dou Xiang" During the Mid-Autumn Festival
Burning "Dou Xiang" is a traditional custom in Wuxi area.Burning "Tian Xiang" (literally "Heavenly Incense") or "Shao Tian Xiang" (burning heavenly incense), is also known as "Shang Tian Xiang" (offering incense to heaven). "Dou Xiang" is a large incense container, square in shape, wide on top and narrow at the bottom, resembling a measuring basket. It is called "Dou Xiang" because paper boxes are pasted onto the incense.
Every evening during the Mid-Autumn Festival, every family burns "Tian Xiang" in the courtyard or yard to worship the moon and offer sacrifices to the Moon Palace:
After sunset on the Mid-Autumn Festival, families bring their tea tables to the front of the house, placing mooncakes, chestnuts, and other dried fruits and snacks in the center. A square-shaped incense container with a wide top and narrow bottom is placed in the middle, filled with sandalwood and powdered incense, and then a thread incense stick is inserted and burned. Some families also stack folded gold ingots into a conical flower shape, with a red paper flower on top, which is burned after the thread incense is completely consumed. The incense container burns for a long time, and the thread incense sticks glow like stars in the night sky, creating a fragrant atmosphere. The incense drifts with the wind, reflecting the bright moon, presenting a peaceful scene.
According to the elders, the purpose of "burning heavenly incense" is to pray for Chang'e, the Moon Goddess, to bestow peace and safety upon people, and to protect the family from separation. After burning the incense, adults distribute the mooncakes and dried fruits to the children, symbolizing the blessing of the Moon God.
The Origin of Burning "Dou Xiang" During the Mid-Autumn Festival
"Dou Xiang" was said to have existed since the Tang and Song dynasties. It is a special kind of incense used for worshipping deities. "Dou Xiang" can be as tall as a person, shaped like a pagoda, hence it is called "Dou Xiang".There is a folk saying: "Its size is about one foot around, with a height of four or five layers, gradually narrowing like a pagoda. Paper is cut into a basket-like shape, and small flags are inserted on both sides." The inside of the basket is filled with incense powder or sand, with incense sticks inserted on top. Some even insert paper-made "Kui Xing" (the god of literary success) and colorful banners. In some areas, the baskets are wrapped with gauze or silk fabric, decorated with paintings of the Moon Palace's pavilions and towers, or with golden Chinese characters such as "Yue Yuan Ren Shou" (May the moon be full and the people live long). A thick incense stick is placed vertically in the center of the incense basket, thick at the base and thin at the top, about two feet high. The front is covered with a paper archway with eaves and upturned corners, glittering with gold, and adorned with couplets, plaques, and colorful banners, making it a grand and luxurious sight.
At night, the "Dou Xiang" is placed on the offering table in the courtyard and burned continuously for several hours, known as "burning Dou Xiang". According to the record in the "Haiyu Customs Bamboo Branch Poetry": "Square incense baskets are placed before the courtyard, triangular flags appear brighter in color; sandalwood incense arranged with auspicious words, the whole family kneels in prayer for reunion."
