XIANG, a premium Chinese incense gifting brand, opened its first flagship store in Shanghai's historic Rockbund district last Friday, marking a major milestone for the label, which was founded in late 2023.
The store is housed in a heritage building within Rockbund, a protected historic district known for its 11 early 20th-century buildings. In recent years, the area has evolved into a premium lifestyle destination, with brands such as Aesop, To Summer, and Songmont establishing a presence there.
Blending Chinese aesthetics and Art Deco influences, the store features a bold Chinese red facade set against the building's stone exterior. Inside, custom drawer cabinets inspired by traditional Chinese apothecary chests, reinforce the brand's connection to Chinese heritage.
Founded by an entrepreneur from a family with a background in traditional Chinese medicine, XIANG draws on centuries-old herbal wellness traditions to craft modern incense products. Its signature collection features four lines — Fortune, Prosperity, Longevity, and Auspiciousness — each crafted from natural ingredients such as agarwood, sandalwood, and osmanthus, and named after classical Chinese symbols of good fortune.
To mark its Shanghai debut, XIANG launched a city-exclusive fragrance, Michelia of Shanghai, featuring white magnolia -blended with dahurian angelica root and vetiver.
Ahead of the flagship opening, XIANG held two seasonal pop-up exhibitions at Rockbund in 2024 and 2025.
The brand has already begun expanding overseas. It hosted a pop-up at London's Harrods department store, entered New York-based retailer Maann, and participated in Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. Its XIANG Censer was subsequently acquired for the Oman Pavilion's permanent collection.
