Xie Fuchun 谢馥春
Xie Fuchun is a Chinese cosmetics house founded in 1830 in Yangzhou, Jiangsu. It makes pressed-egg powder (yadan fen), scented hair oil, and solid perfume sachets, using a technique in which fragrance is drawn from fresh flowers and combined with traditional Chinese medicine ingredients. It has been designated a China Time-honored Brand by MOFCOM since 2006. Its pressed-egg powder and scented sachets were awarded a silver medal at the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition.
Archive record
China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM)
- Founded
- 1830
- Origin
- Yangzhou Jiangsu, China
- Category
- 美妆日化
- Status
- China Time-honored Brand
- Designated
- 2006-11-07 Ministry of Commerce
The Archive
The House
Xie Fuchun was founded in 1830 by Xie Hongye in Yangzhou, a city where powder-making had been established since the Han dynasty and flourished through the Ming and Qing. Xie Hongye's shop came after the earlier Yangzhou houses of Dai Chunlin and Zhang Yuanshu, and built on their methods. The house became known for three lines in particular: powder, hair oil, and scented sachets.
By the early 20th century Xie Fuchun had become the dominant powder house in Yangzhou. A local gazetteer of the period records the shift plainly: the oldest name, Dai Chunlin, was the most famous in earlier times; Xue Tianxi followed; and last came Xie Fuchun — but by the time of writing, Xue Tianxi had declined and only Xie Fuchun still traded strongly.
In 1915, Xie Fuchun's scented sachets and powders were entered at the Panama Pacific International Exposition and won a silver medal. The house also won what the archive records as China's first trademark infringement case.
In 1956, fifteen Yangzhou powder shops were merged into the joint public-private Xie Fuchun Powder Factory. The present company was established in 2006.
What They Make
Three product lines are documented.
Pressed-egg powder (yadan fen) — fresh flowers are gathered, the base powder is sifted, the flowers are used to scent it, borneol and musk are added to fix the fragrance, and the mixture is blended and formed.
Scented sachets (xiangjian) — aromatic materials are compounded, fixed with borneol and musk, bound with honey powder, and formed.
Hair oil (shutou you) — oil is refined and scented through a multi-stage process, with alum flower prepared and steeped in, then filtered.
The archive describes the materials as natural and the work as done by hand with the house's own formulas, and distinguishes this from chemically synthesised cosmetics.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1830 | Xie Hongye founds the Xie Fuchun powder shop in Yangzhou |
| 1915 | Scented sachets and powders win a silver medal at the Panama Pacific International Exposition |
| 1956 | Fifteen Yangzhou powder shops merge into the joint public-private Xie Fuchun Powder Factory |
| 2006 | Present company established; designated a China Time-honored Brand |
Passing It On
The craft has passed through seven generations, from the founding family into apprenticeship:
- 1st — Xie Hongye, founder; later carried by his wife, née Dai
- 2nd — Xie Huai and Xie Dun
- 3rd — Xie Songfu
- 4th — Xie Zhenzhai, who created the pressed-egg powder and sachets entered at the 1915 Exposition
- 5th — Xie Chongde and Xie Chongguang
- 6th — Liu Xin, apprentice to Xie Chongguang
- 7th — Jia Xinxin, apprentice to Liu Xin
Source: China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM). Original record: lzhbwg.mofcom.gov.cn. Translated and condensed from the official Chinese archive; no information has been added. Statements of standing are reproduced as recorded by the source.
Sources
Historical facts on this page are compiled from China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM). Designation recorded 2006-11-07. This page is editorial content; it is not a product listing and nothing here is an offer for sale.
Independence. Time-Honored Goods is an independent multi-brand store. We are not the official site of Xie Fuchun, and we do not speak for the house. See Independence & Sourcing.