From the year of 1683 to 1842 (during the reign of two Emperors of Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Daoguang), Lukang had been one of the top 3 prosperous towns for 158 years. At that time, Lukang was a busy harbor town that hundreds of merchant vessels came and went each day. Burgeoning merchant guilds then symbolized an era of affluence in Lukang, during which traditional arts for religious or festive purposes like puppet shows, the manufacture of incense sticks, and handicrafts (e.g. sachets) were highly valued.

The materials for making LNX were supposedly to be found in the incense industry. Incense sticks used to be a necessity to most households. The earliest trace of making incense sticks in Taiwan could date back to the reign of Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty. With years of development, more and more incense shops sprouted up to serve the need for divinities and ancestor worship. People could hold incense sticks to pray for blessings or make confessions.

Our project was initiated by the interest in the traditional puppets with LNX-made heads. Puppet shows are an iconic presentation of the traditional art; they incorporate the knowledge of carving, fine arts, literature, manipulation skills, music, and vocal performances. The costumes for puppets are delicately stitched with accessories, and with the gorgeous outfits, varying vocal utterances, and experienced manipulation skills, vivid human nature is attributed to these inanimate puppets. Aside from the puppet shows on stage, the audience could appreciate the coloring and carving elements as an additional perceptional experience.

Back to our interest, the eco-friendly traditional LNX-made sachet made its debut in Taiwan in 1950. The LNX sachet was made of wood sawdust blended with powdered Taiwan’s scented Cypress or Phoebe zhennan as the natural adhesive and of sandalwood powder as stuffed materials. Such sachet indulges you with a sense of simplicity.

In view of the damaged environment with diminishing resources, our project centers on the idea of environmental awareness, probing into the cultural and ecological value of LNX and the way to promote it. We sincerely hope that, as a global citizen, everyone could cherish the only habitat—the Earth while making a purchase each day.