Home > Tibet Stories

A post 80s inheritor of Tibetan incense tells his story of starting business

2018-11-22 11:15:00China Tibet Online

Young Entrepreneur

In 2012, after graduating from the Department of Tibetan Language and Literature at Northwest Minzu University, Tenzin Geshe did not take the civil service examination, which is very popular among his peers, but instead returned to his hometown to start his own business.

After investigating market demand and development prospects for Tibetan incense for more than a year, he returned to Tunba Township to set up his own Tibetan incense production team. In September 2014, he officially established a trading company with pure handmade Tibetan incense as his main business.

Tenzin Geshe pays careful attention to each step of the production process, from collecting raw materials to crushing the medicines and natural spices, proportioning the materials, rubbing the mixture, fermenting, pressing, drying in the sun, and packaging, striving to carry out the process in accordance with traditional techniques.


Photo shows Tenzin Geshe mixing Tibetan incense materials.

Tenzin Geshe thought he could go further with company development and brand building. "Tibetan incense is not only a fragrance; it is an inseparable part of Tibetan medicine and traditional culture. So we need to think how could we turn this traditional handicraft passed down by our ancestors into a real brand?"

Tenzin Geshe told reporters that they currently produce two main types of branded Tibetan incense. The first is a kind of traditional handmade incense crafted according to a secret recipe passed down by his ancestors. The other is an innovative one created according to needs of different customers.

"Production of the traditional incense is limited: we can only make 300 units per year," he said. But while the new incense doesn't have as strong a fragrance as the traditional kind, it is also very popular. "These products are not only sold locally in Lhasa, we also sell them to inland cities through e-commerce channels." 

Related News

Tibet Stories

11141.png

Dressmaker Drolma: I only do one thing in my whole life

"As the oldest daughter in my family of five girls, my family has only asked me to do one th...

2016251454640137913_44.jpg