Tangerang Incense Maker in Busiest Period of the Year
Tangerang. The demand for incense sticks is rising ahead of the Lunar New Year. Jua Tong, who runs an incense factory in Kosambi, Tangerang, said he must produce at least 7,000 incense sticks per day to meet the current demand.
Luckily for the 71-year-old, the last few days have been sunny.
His workers must leave the sticks in the sun to dry them. Incense is made from aromatic wood powder and herbs and is usually given a bright red color. Sun drying is the best method to make them burn easily.
Rain has interrupted production in the past week as the country is entering wet season.
Jua has secured orders from customers in Kalimantan and Riau Islands Province, and they must receive the incense sticks before the Lunar New Year that falls on February 12.
Indonesians of Chinese descent pray and burn incense sticks, locally called as Hio, at Buddhist temples or their home during the holiday.
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