ChuJian (初柬) is a Chinese perfume house that appeared in 2024. Each of its fragrances starts from a place, an imperial garden or a step in the making of tea, and each one is signed by a named perfumer, European or Chinese. The entire range is extrait de parfum.
A young house that puts its perfumers first
The first ChuJian fragrances date from 2024, according to the Fragrantica and Fragsi databases. A second series followed in 2025, built around tea, sandalwood and two landscapes of water and moonlight. The house describes itself as a "naturalist" perfume brand inspired by Eastern philosophy. It makes perfumes, home fragrances and body care, and it is listed among the exhibitors of Perfume Week, the Paris fragrance show organized by the magazine Nez.
The name is two characters long. 初 (chu) means "first" or "beginning". 柬 (jian) refers to a letter or a handwritten card; it is the character found in 请柬, an invitation card. So 初柬 can be read as "the first letter" or "the first invitation". The house plays on that idea: perfume as a way of introducing yourself.
ChuJian says very little about its founders. The public sources we checked give neither their names nor, reliably, the city where the company is based, and we would rather not guess. What the house does publish is the name of the perfumer behind each creation. Here is the breakdown, as it appears on our product pages and with the brand's distributors:
- Anne Flipo: Buddha's Narcissus N°P42 and Snow on Cangshan N°P44.
- Caroline Dumur: Iris in Jiangnan N°P43.
- Maxime Exler: ChangBai Sandal N°M37, Zijin Sandalwood N°P28 and Ambergris Rose N°P29.
- Mathilde Bijaoui: Boreal Fir N°M39.
- Ralf Schwieger: Moonlight Silken Veil N°L32.
- Tianle Feng: Tianshan Spring N°L31.
- Alex Lee: Yihe in Rosa N°P41.
- Diana Zhai: Oolong Rocking Green N°P26.
- Gary Wang: Phoenix Meets Mountain N°P27.
It is an interesting mix. On one side, European perfumers with established careers; Anne Flipo, for instance, co-signed Lancôme's La Vie est Belle. On the other, Tianle Feng, a Chinese perfumer who also runs his own house, Voice From The Sky, along with Alex Lee, Diana Zhai and Gary Wang. The theme of every perfume comes from China; the execution goes through very different hands, and you can tell from one bottle to the next.
The olfactive style: places in China, in extrait form
Every ChuJian perfume is an extrait, the highest concentration. Our product pages describe a base that settles in 3 to 8 hours after application, which is what you would expect from this concentration on normal skin. An extrait wears close to the skin: one or two sprays are enough, and the sillage is usually quieter than a very diffusive eau de parfum.
The common thread is geographic and cultural. The cold north, with the Changbai mountains, the boreal forest and the Tianshan glaciers. Yunnan, with the nineteen peaks of the Cangshan range above Erhai Lake. Beijing, with the roses of the Summer Palace and the incense of the Forbidden City. And tea, with Tieguanyin from Fujian and Dan Cong oolong from the Phoenix mountains in Guangdong. Each English name is a more or less free translation of a four-character Chinese name, which our product pages explain.
As for materials, a few families come up often. Tea, as a heart or base note, in four perfumes. Sandalwood, which carries two creations on its own and supports two others. Rose, present in seven formulas. Musks, which close most of them. Keep one thing in mind: the name of a place does not tell you what the perfume smells like. Tianshan Spring is a fresh, aquatic, mineral scent, Snow on Cangshan a galbanum green, ChangBai Sandal a light, powdery sandalwood. The notes on the product page are more useful than the image in the title.
The collection: numbers and two sizes
Each perfume carries a letter and a number: P, M or L, followed by two digits. The house does not publicly explain what the letters stand for, and we will not speculate. What you can see in the Passion Parfum catalog is that the P references come in 50 ml, while the M and L references come in 30 ml, at a noticeably lower price. Every perfume is also available as a 2 ml sample.
The numbers group families together. P26 to P29 form a 2025 set built around tea, sandalwood and ambergris. P41 to P44 bring together flowers and landscapes: rose, narcissus, iris, then the snow of Cangshan. M37 and M39 are two northern woods released in 2024. L31 and L32, from 2025, are lighter, one aquatic, the other a fruity floral. At Passion Parfum, the collection currently counts twelve perfumes.
ChuJian perfumes available at Passion Parfum
The two teas
Oolong Rocking Green N°P26 takes its name from 摇青 (yaoqing), the step where Tieguanyin leaves are shaken in bamboo sieves to release their aroma. Bergamot, grapefruit, pear and green notes in the top, a heart of jasmine, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, rose and orchid, then a base of oolong tea, vetiver, moss and musk. The result is green, juicy and fairly bright. Signed by Diana Zhai.
Phoenix Meets Mountain N°P27, by Gary Wang, starts from the tea bushes of the Phoenix mountains. Citrus, bergamot, myrrh and rum in the opening, a heart of oolong tea, jasmine, orange blossom, orris root and rose, then a rich base: sandalwood, vetiver, Brazilian rosewood, musk, cedar, tobacco, amber woods and ambroxan. It is the denser of the two teas, smokier and woodier.
The two sandalwoods
ChangBai Sandal N°M37 is named after the snowy peak in northeastern China; 清檀 (qingtan) means "clear sandalwood". Citron, pink pepper and lime, a discreet heart of tea and fig, then sandalwood, white musk, papyrus and powdery woods. It is a light, dry sandalwood, a good fit for anyone who finds classic sandalwoods too creamy.
Zijin Sandalwood N°P28 refers to the Forbidden City. Clove, spices and pink pepper in the top, moss, fig and cedar in the heart, then sandalwood, white musk, guaiac wood, powdery woody notes and creamy notes. This one fully embraces the creamy, spicy side. Both sandalwoods are by Maxime Exler, and comparing them is instructive.
The florals
Iris in Jiangnan N°P43, by Caroline Dumur, is the most stripped-back perfume in the house: aldehydes and green notes, a heart of iris alone, a musk base. Jiangnan is the region of water and canals south of the Yangtze. The iris here is powdery and cool, with the transparency that aldehydes bring.
Yihe in Rosa N°P41 evokes the roses of the Summer Palace in Beijing. Orange blossom and geranium, then rose, cistus labdanum, jasmine and ylang-ylang, over a base of vetiver and patchouli. The cistus warms the rose and the patchouli gives it staying power. Composed by Alex Lee.
Ambergris Rose N°P29 pairs rose with ambergris, 龙涎 (longxian), "dragon's saliva" in Chinese tradition. Rose and pink pepper in the top, rose and cedar in the heart, then ambroxan, white musk, cashmere wood, powdery woody notes and amber. The ambergris here is a mineral, salty accord built around ambroxan. It is a modern rose, not very sweet.
Buddha's Narcissus N°P42 focuses on narcissus, 水仙 (shuixian), which people in China bring into bloom for the New Year. Lime, bergamot, grapefruit and black pepper, then narcissus, lavender and rose, over a base of patchouli, benzoin and moss. The base is chypre, the opening very fresh. Signed by Anne Flipo.
Moonlight Silken Veil N°L32, by Ralf Schwieger, is the fruitiest of the florals. Bitter orange, bergamot, lemon and blackcurrant, a heart of peach, rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine sambac, jasmine grandiflorum and oregano, then fir, musk and moss. Peach and jasmine lead, and the oregano adds a small, unexpected herbal touch.
Fresh and woody landscapes
Snow on Cangshan N°P44 is a high-altitude green. Galbanum, blackcurrant, bergamot, geranium and apple, a heart of jasmine, orange blossom, rose and basil, then cedar, vetiver, patchouli and musk. The galbanum gives a sharp, almost bitter opening that rounds out later. This is Anne Flipo's second perfume for the house.
Tianshan Spring N°L31, by Tianle Feng, evokes the meltwater of the Tianshan glaciers. Lemon, bergamot and juniper berry, a heart of aquatic notes, musk and lavender, then ambrette, ambroxan and cedar. It is the easiest perfume in the collection to wear, fresh and clean, well suited to summer.
Boreal Fir N°M39, by Mathilde Bijaoui, starts from the boreal forest. Pink pepper, cardamom and saffron, a heart of fir, cedar, sandalwood, tea and vetiver, then guaiac wood, cypriol, musk, cashmeran and woody ambergris. The fir is dark and resinous rather than minty.
Where to start
For a first approach, three perfumes give a good idea of the house. If you like tea and green scents, start with Oolong Rocking Green. If you want an easy-to-wear woody scent, ChangBai Sandal is the most accessible, in 30 ml. If you prefer powdery florals, Iris in Jiangnan shows the house at its most minimal, and Ambergris Rose at its most enveloping.
An extrait develops slowly, and the opening says little about the base. The safest approach is to order the 2 ml sample and wear the perfume for a full day before choosing a bottle. Wearing two ChuJian perfumes on the same day, one on each wrist, also lets you compare two perfumers on a similar theme.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy ChuJian perfumes?
Passion Parfum carries all twelve ChuJian perfumes in full bottles and 2 ml samples, shipped from France to the United States and across Europe. Availability for each size is shown on the product page.
Is ChuJian a niche brand?
Yes. It is an independent house founded in 2024 that sells only perfume and scented products, through selective distribution. It entrusts its formulas to named perfumers and offers its perfumes only as extraits.
Who are the ChuJian perfumers?
Each perfume has its own nose: Anne Flipo, Caroline Dumur, Maxime Exler, Mathilde Bijaoui, Ralf Schwieger, Tianle Feng, Alex Lee, Diana Zhai and Gary Wang. The perfumer's name appears on every product page.
How long do ChuJian perfumes last?
They are extraits, and the product pages indicate a base that lasts 3 to 8 hours. Fresh scents like Tianshan Spring fade faster than woody ones like Boreal Fir or Zijin Sandalwood. Skin and climate matter as much as the formula.
What does the name ChuJian mean?
初 means "first" and 柬 refers to a letter or a written card, as in 请柬, an invitation card. So 初柬 reads as "the first letter", the idea of a perfume that serves as an introduction.
Browse every perfume from the house in the ChuJian collection, and the other independent houses we carry on the Houses and Creators page.