China Agarwood Culture Museum

China Agarwood Culture Museum

The China Agarwood Culture Museum is located in Xiangshi Park, Liaobu Town, and is the first museum in China dedicated to agarwood culture. Covering an area of 8,199 square meters with a total construction area of approximately 8,800 square meters, the museum was designed by He Jingtang, the architect behind the China Pavilion at the World Expo.

The design concept is inspired by ancient “scent boxes” used to store tribute Guanxiang agarwood, and incorporates key features such as sachets and perforated incense burners. Using the seal script of the two characters “Guan Xiang” (莞香) as the skin texture concept, the structure is reimagined in a hollowed-out form as an exquisitely crafted, delicate modern scent box. Lighting, water, and fog effects enhance the display of the deep cultural meaning and artistic conception of agarwood. The museum’s name was inscribed by the renowned Sinologist and master of Chinese studies, Ji Xianlin: “China Agarwood Culture Museum.”

The museum provides a comprehensive introduction to the development history of traditional Chinese incense culture from ancient times to the present, enhanced by modern audiovisual equipment for a highly interactive experience. Among its treasures is a massive Qing Dynasty Qianlong-era iron-inscribed incense burner, and the museum houses agarwood from around the world. Visitors can journey through history and experience the profound allure of agarwood culture. It stands as one of the most important bases for the dissemination of agarwood culture both in China and globally, as well as a window into the knowledge of Chinese and international agarwood heritage.

Agarwood is produced by trees of the Thymelaeaceae family, mainly found in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Indonesian archipelago. When subjected to trauma such as lightning strikes, strong winds, animal or insect damage, or human logging, the tree secretes resin to heal the wounded areas. Over time, with the action of microorganisms, this resin gradually transforms into agarwood.

Though small in size, agarwood holds a high status. The “Chen” (沉) in the traditional saying “Chen Tan Long She” (沉檀龙麝, referring to the four great incenses) refers to agarwood. It boasts an elegant fragrance and is extremely rare, having been regarded as the king of all incenses since ancient times. It also combines various values including health benefits and collectibility.

Agarwood is a precious traditional Chinese medicinal material known for its miraculous effects such as opening blockages, unblocking meridians, and promoting health and healing. It can be used internally or externally, and its medicinal use has a long history.

The use of incense in China has a long history, emerging in the pre-Qin period, taking initial shape during the Qin and Han dynasties, developing in the Six Dynasties, maturing in the Sui and Tang dynasties, flourishing in the Song and Yuan dynasties, and becoming widespread in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Incense invokes divine inspiration and honors ancestors and deities. It reflects reverence for heaven and people, expresses ritual systems and codes, serves as a tool for refining temperament and inspiring creativity, and acts as medicine to dispel plagues, purify the air, calm the spirit, and balance the soul. Emperors, generals, scholars, monks, Taoists, and common people alike have all embraced incense. Reviewing the cultural history of the Chinese nation, one cannot help but notice the lingering mist of sandalwood, aloeswood, musk, and other fragrant smoke.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the long-renowned “Guanxiang” (agarwood from Guanxiang) was traded here. Leveraging its geographic advantage—being close to both raw material sources and ports—it became the national hub of the spice trade. Local spices were exported via Guangzhou and Hong Kong to the Pearl River Delta region, inland cities, and Southeast Asia. The cultivation and processing of Guanxiang facilitated the growth of the Guanxiang trade, and the industry flourished in Liaobu. The town became a center of the agarwood market, and the industry served as a key pillar of the local economy. As a result, Liaobu earned the title “Fragrance Market” (香市), and along with Guangzhou’s Flower Market, Lianzhou’s Pearl Market, and Luofu’s Medicine Market, it was celebrated as one of the “Four Famous Markets” across China. In 2014, “Liaobu Fragrance Market” and the “Art of Making Guanxiang” in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, were successfully included in the fourth batch of the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Projects.

Address: No. 1 Xiangfu Road, Liaobu Town, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province (next to Xianghui Temple)

Phone: 0769--83529066

Opening Hours: 09:00–17:00 (Closed on Mondays)

Admission: Free

Liaobu Town: Located in the economically most developed Pearl River Delta region of mainland China, Liaobu Town sits in the central part of Dongguan City, serving as the city’s geographical center. Adjacent to the urban area and neighboring the Songshan Lake High-Tech Industrial Park, it lies at the heart of the Guangzhou-Hong Kong Economic Corridor, enjoying exceptional locational advantages. The town boasts well-developed road transportation, with the Guanshen Expressway running through the entire area. Two top-grade highways, “Guanzhang” and “Shida,” intersect here along with the newly built Songshan Lake Avenue, the Dongguan Eastern Expressway, and the urban ring road, forming a highly developed and modern transportation network. Nearly every corner of Dongguan is reachable within a half-hour drive... More details about Liaobu Town++