Tracing the scent: a bibliometric mapping and critical textual analysis of historical evolution and contemporary reinterpretation

This study explores the evolution of Chinese incense culture through an innovative combination of bibliometric mapping with advanced visualization techniques and critical textual analysis. Beginning with ancient oracle bone inscriptions, our analysis traces the transformative journey of the character 香 (xiāng) as it evolves from a symbol of agrarian abundance and ritual purity to a complex cultural signifier imbued with social, aesthetic, and therapeutic dimensions. Drawing on a corpus of literature published between 2014 and 2024, we employ network visualization, keyword co-occurrence mapping, and timeline analyses to reveal emerging interdisciplinary trends and collaborative patterns. The integrated findings underscore how traditional sensory heritage is rearticulated within contemporary discourses on identity, memory, and cultural sustainability, offering fresh insights for scholars in cultural studies, anthropology, and information science. Overall, our approach shows how visualization methods can help clarify the relationship between historical traditions and contemporary reinterpretations in sensory culture.