The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Launched in 2025, Zijin Sandalwood No.P28 紫禁白檀 was created by perfumer Maxime Exler. Its name points to the Forbidden City through the Chinese title 紫禁白檀, pairing the imperial reference with white sandalwood. The composition translates that architectural association into scent through warm woods, moss, spice, fig, creamy facets, and musk. Rather than recreating a place literally, it suggests the atmosphere of a secluded palace at dusk: polished timber, shadowed gardens, and richly textured surfaces. Exler’s arrangement places vivid pink pepper and clove in front, then moves through cedarwood, fig, and moss before arriving at a smooth sandalwood base.
The interesting part is the tension between spice and softness. Pink pepper and clove bring immediate heat, but they don’t lead to smoke or incense. Fig introduces a dark, fruity character, while moss adds an earthy, forest-floor register. Creamy notes, powdery facets, and white musk then soften the composition, letting sandalwood and guaiac wood carry the weight. It is a familiar woody vocabulary arranged with unusual contrast, balancing the clean architecture suggested by the name with a warmer, more tactile skin.
The evolution
The opening arrives with some bite. Pink pepper, spice, and clove create a crisp, rosy heat, sharper than the creamier finish suggests. That brightness soon gives way to cedarwood, fig, and moss, bringing dry bark, ripe fruit, and cool earth into focus. Fig is the surprise passage: briefly lush and almost wine-dark, it softens the wood without making the composition overtly sweet. In the final phase, sandalwood and guaiac wood take over with creamy and powdery depth, while white musk leaves a clean, skin-like finish. As the opening spice recedes, cedarwood gives the composition a dry, aromatic structure, and the darker fruit accord adds a brief moment of juicy contrast. Moss cools the warmer wood tones with an earthy, mineral edge. Sandalwood then rounds out the dry woods with a smooth, creamy texture, while guaiac wood deepens the finish with its darker, gently smoky character.
Cultural impact
Zijin Sandalwood No.P28 紫禁白檀 offers a distinctive expression of sandalwood through a composition that moves between crisp spice, aromatic woods, ripe fruit, earthy moss, and soft musk. Pink pepper and clove introduce a lively opening, while cedarwood and fig create a layered heart of dry bark, green depth, and dark fruit. Sandalwood and guaiac wood bring a creamy, powdery woodiness to the later stages, and white musk gives the scent a clean, skin-like finish. This progression makes the fragrance an inviting exploration of texture and contrast, revealing each note as it gives way to the next.
The House
ChuJian 初柬ChuJian 初柬 is a Beijing-based fragrance house that draws from Eastern philosophy and Chinese landscape traditions. The name itself carries meaning: 初柬 translates to an invitation, a meeting of minds through scent. The brand creates perfumes, fragrances, and body care products that prioritize Chinese native botanical ingredients, working in collaboration with established international fragrance houses to realize their vision. Each collection carries the sensibility of a handwritten note, an encounter arranged through aromatic language rather than words. The house emerged in 2024 and quickly expanded its portfolio through 2025, releasing distinct series that explore Chinese geography, literary references, and material traditions.
The Creator
Maxime ExlerExler's compositions favor bold oriental structures with resinous depth. His signature materials include oud, cypriol, and musk, often supported by birch and saffron.
