中国的香炉文化源远流长，它的历史甚至可以追溯到商周时代的“鼎”。我国古代青铜鼎有烹煮肉食、祭祀等用途，祖先把最珍贵的牛羊猪等美味佳肴以及玉器等礼器，倾其所有，向天祈福，让神灵和祖宗保佑自己的部落和国家平安。
China's incense burner culture has a long history, and its history can even be traced back to the "tripod" of Shang and Zhou dynasties. In ancient China, bronze tripod was used for cooking meat, offering sacrifices, and so on. The ancestors sacrificed all the sacrificial rites, such as cattle, sheep and pigs, such as delicious food and jade, and prayed to heaven, so that the gods and ancestors could bless their tribes and the country.
但这同今人所见的香炉还是两码事，但它们有一个共同点：与祭祀有关。祭祀活动是古代先民最重要的礼仪活动。远古时期仰韶文化和龙山文化中的不少器物就是用于祭祀的礼器，如精美而薄如纸的蛋壳陶。
But the incense burners we see today are different, but they have one thing in common: they are related to sacrifices. Sacrifice activities are the most important ritual activities of ancient ancestors. Many objects in Yangshao and Longshan cultures in ancient times were sacrificial ceremonies, such as exquisite and thin paper-like eggshell pottery.