Zhuxi Tribute Timber

Zhuxi Tribute Timber

　　Zhuxi Tribute Timber is a specialty of Zhuxi County in Shiyan City, Hubei Province.

　　 The story of Zhuxi Tribute Timber also goes back to the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Wuzong of Ming, Zhu Houzhao, felt that Beijing, as the hub of political, economic, and cultural power, had an inadequate environment. He proposed building an imposing, magnificently structured, well-proportioned, and conveniently arranged imperial palace — what ancient people referred to as the "Forbidden City." To construct such a massive royal project, high-quality timber was essential. Thus, the emperor ordered Liao Xikui, the magistrate of Guhua County under the Xiangyang Prefecture in Hubei, to harvest nanmu wood, but his efforts yielded no success. After enduring great hardships and dangers, Magistrate Liao finally found suitable timber in Cixiaogou, Eping Township, Zhuxi. With the monumental task accomplished, he joyfully inscribed a poem on a cliff face 0.7 meters high and 0.8 meters wide to commemorate the event:

　　 "Gathering imperial timber, entering this secluded valley, searching but not finding, pausing here in hesitation.

　　 Gathering imperial timber, entering this secluded valley, searching and then finding, presenting it as treasure.

　　 Now that the timber is found, and the material is fine, the imperial hall is complete, and the empire is secured."

　　 Upon the recommendation of Minister of Works Zhao Wenhua, the nanmu wood from Zhuxi was designated as tribute timber. Today, more than 400 years later, the Forbidden City in the capital, with its nanmu pillars, still stands tall and majestic without losing its grandeur. Thus, Zhuxi Tribute Timber earned its name and became renowned throughout the world.