The Homology of Medicine and Incense, the Symbiosis of Incense and Custom: The Knowledge System, Ecological Wisdom, and Modern Transformation of Ethnic Aromatic Therapy in Yunnan: An Interdisciplinary Investigation From Ethnobotany to Traditional Medicine

Yunnan is the region in China with the greatest ethnic diversity, the richest aromatic plant resources, and the most intact preservation of traditional ecological wisdom. It has nurtured a pluralistic yet integrated system of aromatic therapy and incense culture among ethnic groups such as the Dai, Naxi, Bai, Yi, and Pumi. Based on local flora and traditional medical knowledge, these ethnic groups have fused aromatic therapy practices, ritual beliefs, daily customs, and ecological ethics, forming a cultural paradigm characterized by the “homology of medicine and incense, the symbiosis of incense and custom, and the shared fragrance connecting humans and deities”. Employing theoretical frameworks from ethnobotany, cultural anthropology, and traditional ethnic medicine, this paper proposes for the first time an “Ecology-Culture-Health” tripartite symbiotic analytical model. It systematically examines the aromatic therapy techniques, application mechanisms, aromatic plant resources, and folkloric contexts of representative ethnic groups in Yunnan. The study elucidates the multiple functions of incense culture in disease prevention and treatment, spiritual beliefs, social order, and ecological conservation. It analyzes the crises of inheritance faced in the process of modernization and innovatively proposes a trinity development pathway of “scientific preservation, living inheritance, and industrial transformation”. The research indicates that the ethnic minority aromatic therapy system in Yunnan is a living heritage deeply integrating traditional wellness wisdom with regional culture. This study not only enriches the pedigree of Chinese incense culture but also provides novel theoretical perspectives and practical approaches for the modernization of traditional medicine and the development of the ecological wellness industry.

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