Phia Thắp is a small community of  50 homes in the northern border province of Cao Bằng. Besides agriculture, the tiny mountain hamlet is well-known for makingr incense, an ancient trade passed down for hundreds of years. Everyone in the community, from grandmothers to children, take pride in the trade.

Phia Thắp incense is a popular brand in this part of the country. The incense is hand-made from 100 per cent natural ingredients. The sticks are made from split bamboo. Locals collect special herbs in the mountains and grind them to make a powder. They later add it to pine powder and add colour. The final step is to put the wet incense out under the sun to dry.

The incense provides a subtle but distinctively pleasant aroma, which retains the fragance smell of agarwood.