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The hill censer or boshanlu (博山爐 "universal mountain censer" or boshan xianglu 博山香爐) is a type of censer, a vessel used for burning incense. It was commonly used during the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). The censers are shaped like mountains and were used for religious rituals. The shape of the hill censer acts as a visual aid for envisioning the sacred mountains that were said to have been inhabited by Taoist immortals. Hill censers were originally designed for Taoist rituals, but were later used by Chinese Buddhists. Ting Huan is credited with the invention of the hill censer in 180 BC. His censer was a "nine-storied" hill censer.
Hill censers often include carvings of wilds animals and birds. Some censers depict waves at the foundation of the vessel, said to be the waves of the East China Sea. A hole at the top of the censer releases the smoke of the incense.