Donglin Temple

Incense in the air, and sun warming cedarwood.

ZHUFU made this one with the monastery itself, in Jinshan District, Shanghai, taking its cue from the flora growing there, fir and camphor among them. The blend is set against the philosophy of Zen.

Citrus and bergamot arrive with a hint of ginger, refreshing and warm. Lotus, cypress and camphor balance floral against earthiness. Rosewood and cedarwood add woodiness and warmth, and the rich complexity of agarwood adds the depth.

ZHUFU takes its name and the form of its bottle from bamboo, and the character for blessing is engraved into the foot of every one. Each release carries a wish: for harmony, long life and gentle prosperity. The house works in natural essential oils and writes a story for every release, so a bottle here starts from persimmons ripening in a basket, tea and tobacco in a cabin on a midsummer night, or the Jinmao Tower.

Chinese cultural symbolism meets contemporary design across a range that runs from a gourmand built on named tea cultivars through to conifer woods and pale florals. The green tea there is Yabukita, Samidori and Okumidori rather than one flat green, the fruit arrives from Haikou, Hainan and Guangdong, and every release names the person who made it.