Aquilaria sinensis

Aquilaria sinensis

Aquilaria sinensis is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Aquilaria sinensis, also known as Eaglewood or "Daughter Fragrance Tree," is an evergreen tree belonging to the genus Aquilaria in the Thymelaeaceae family and is classified as a second-class nationally protected plant in China. It is the only tree in China named after a place—Dongguan. With a long history, it was widely planted during the Song Dynasty and has traditionally been a local specialty of Dongguan. In recent years, Dongguan Municipality has placed great emphasis on rediscovering its local specialties and has extensively propagated and cultivated Aquilaria sinensis as a flagship plant. The long-lost fragrance of Aquilaria sinensis will soon once again fill the land of Dongguan.

　　According to *Chinese Tree Classification*, the Daughter Fragrance Tree, also called "Daughter Fragrance" or Aquilaria sinensis (Dongguan, Guangdong), is an evergreen tree with dark gray, easily peeling bark. Its leaves come in two sizes: large ones known as "Large Leaf Fragrance," which are oblong-oval in shape, and small ones called "Fine Leaf Fragrance," which are lanceolate, alternate, pointed at both ends, about two inches long, and greenish in color. The flowers are white, and the seeds are round and black. The flowering period is from March to April, and the seeds mature in June. Trees of this species are harvested for their main trunk after growing for six or seven years, and then after another five or six years, the fragrant parts resembling horse teeth are carved out, commonly referred to as "Tooth Fragrance."

　　Historical records indicate that agarwood (also known as Aquilaria sinensis or "White Wood Fragrance" and "Local Agarwood") was introduced to Guangdong during the Tang Dynasty and became widely planted in the Song Dynasty. Because it was mainly concentrated in the Dongguan area, it came to be known as Aquilaria sinensis. As early as over 400 years ago during the Ming Dynasty, Guangdong had four famous market types: incense markets, medicine markets, flower markets, and pearl markets, among which the incense market dealing in local agarwood was the most thriving. During the Ming Dynasty, Aquilaria sinensis was included in Guangdong’s annual tribute offerings. At that time, Aquilaria sinensis was not only popular domestically but was also processed and carried by porters to Hong Kong for sale, with large quantities exported to Southeast Asia. It is said that the name "Hong Kong" originated from Aquilaria sinensis, showing how the name “Hong Kong” is derived from this fragrant wood.

　　Aquilaria sinensis trees grow to a height of 8–15 meters. It takes about 7–8 years for a seedling to grow into a tree with a diameter of 20 centimeters and a height of approximately 3.5 meters. The first harvest of agarwood is called "Opening the Fragrant Gate," and the season for harvesting is the lunar December each year. The agarwood is harvested from living trees. Depending on the quality, the harvested agarwood is categorized into "White Wood Fragrance," "Sickle Head Fragrance," "Agarwood," and "Tooth Fragrance" (also known as Daughter Fragrance). The very first harvest from a newly opened fragrant gate is termed "White Wood Fragrance," which is the lowest grade of agarwood. Fragrance blocks obtained from older fragrant gates are called "Sickle Head Fragrance." This type is more commonly used but has fewer wood grains and lacks oil content, making it slightly more expensive than White Wood Fragrance. "Agarwood" comes from the trunks of old trees, rich in oil. Large chunks are carved out, and then the non-oily parts are carefully removed, leaving behind the oil-rich sections, which constitute Agarwood. It is one of the traditional Chinese medicinal materials purchased by national medical departments and is known for its calming, pain-relieving, and soothing effects. "Tooth Fragrance" is harvested from long-exploited old trees, rich in oil. Skilled farmers carve it into horse-tooth shaped pieces, about the size of fingers, and its price is several times higher than that of Sickle Head Fragrance, making it the finest grade of Aquilaria sinensis. Trees from which agarwood has been harvested continue to grow and are usually harvested every few years. In ancient times, Aquilaria sinensis was already quite valuable. According to *Guangdong New Language: On Incense*, when Aquilaria sinensis was at its peak, annual sales exceeded tens of thousands of taels of gold. Even today, medium-grade White Wood Fragrance and common Sickle Head Fragrance cost over 20 yuan per kilogram. Agarwood and Tooth Fragrance (Daughter Fragrance) are even more valuable. When burned, Aquilaria sinensis produces no smoke and emits a delicate fragrance, making it suitable for enjoyment and religious offerings, as well as for dispelling dampness and odors. It has remained popular among the public for centuries.

　　Aquilaria sinensis has always been a specialty of Dongguan, with towns such as Dalingshan and Liaobu being major production areas. In particular, Dalingshan Town had widespread cultivation before the Ming Dynasty, especially in areas like Jichi Ridge, Longgang, Matige, Jinju, Dasha, Meilin, and Baihuadong, which were relatively well-known. Market towns such as Dasha, Dalang, Liaobu, and Chashan served as primary distribution hubs, with Liaobu’s incense market being the most famous. Although Aquilaria sinensis has a long and glorious history, during the two or three decades after the liberation, in an era of underdeveloped industry, it served as the main raw material for producing fragrances. Due to excessive logging, the once-green mountains, once home to this local specialty, saw very few Aquilaria sinensis trees remaining and the species was nearly extinct. After 1980, the city’s medicine company initiated the replanting of Aquilaria sinensis trees in villages such as Jichi Ridge and Longgang to cultivate medicinal Agarwood. Over the past decade, Dongguan Municipality has placed great importance on protecting this rare local specialty plant and has encouraged the public to plant Aquilaria sinensis trees. In 2003, Aquilaria sinensis was listed among the first batch of ancient and notable trees under Dongguan’s protection — 50 Aquilaria sinensis trees located in Dalingshan Park, as part of a preserved population, were made available for visitors to admire.

　　It is commendable that Mr. Tang Huanhong, a 77-year-old elder from Jichi Ridge Village in Dalingshan Town, whose ancestors have been planting Aquilaria sinensis, started learning to plant, carve, and sell Aquilaria sinensis with his father when he was just over ten years old and has a special affection for the tree. For decades, he has worked diligently. Over ten years ago, he cleared and cultivated land on the hillside behind his village to plant Aquilaria sinensis trees. These trees have now grown to heights of 5–6 meters. Aside from some that have been transplanted by forestry departments and related organizations, nearly 100 trees remain, making it the largest cluster of fragrant trees in Dongguan at present. He also carefully cultivates Aquilaria sinensis seedlings to provide to enthusiastic organizations and individuals for planting, sparing no effort to revive Aquilaria sinensis.

　　Worthy of mention is Dongguan Botanical Garden, which, in order to save Aquilaria sinensis, established a dedicated Aquilaria sinensis garden within its Rare Plants Garden in 2001. Over 4,000 seedlings have been successfully cultivated, and specialized research on Aquilaria sinensis has been conducted, contributing to its promotion.

　　It is worth highlighting that on August 16, 2002, over ten outstanding students from our city who were admitted to universities such as Tsinghua and Peking University spontaneously organized and invited their teachers and parents to join them in planting Aquilaria sinensis trees in Songshan Lake Science and Technology Industrial Park. Each Aquilaria sinensis tree was labeled with the student’s name, expressing the strong hometown sentiment of the younger generation’s concern for their hometown’s development and gratitude for its nurturing.

　　Also praiseworthy is that during the centennial celebration of Dongguan Middle School in November 2002, when alumni, celebrities, dignitaries, and business figures gathered on campus, what surprised the alumni who came to congratulate the school on its 100th anniversary the most was the gift from the Wan Cheng District Government — two Aquilaria sinensis trees. Such a generous gift became a popular topic among the people of Dongguan.

　　It is heartening to see that in recent years, purchasing an Aquilaria sinensis sapling for a few hundred yuan as a gift for relatives and friends has become a new trend in both urban and rural areas of Dongguan...