Sichuan Musk

Sichuan Musk

　　　　Musk is a commonly used authentic traditional Chinese medicinal material produced in Sichuan. It is the dried secretion from the scent gland of mature male animals of the deer family, such as forest musk deer, alpine musk deer, and Siberian musk deer. Also known as cunxiang (inch fragrance), xiangqizi (fragrance navel), dangmenzi (gate-facing pellet), and yuanjin (prime essence), it was first recorded in the "Shennong Bencao Jing" (The Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica). It has a warm nature and pungent taste, and is known for its effects in unblocking orifices, activating blood circulation, clearing meridians, dispersing nodules, and relieving pain.

　　　　Sichuan has a very long history of producing musk, primarily from forest musk deer, accounting for about 50% of the national output. The main production areas can be divided among western and southern Sichuan—such as Garzê, Liangshan, Leshan, Ya’an, Yibin, and Luzhou—as well as northwestern and northern Sichuan—including Aba, Mianyang, Guangyuan, Deyang, and Chengdu—and eastern and northeastern Sichuan—including Wanxian, Nanchong, Youyang, and Chongqing. Among these, the second region of western Sichuan yields a relatively large quantity, typically with Garzê accounting for 50%, Aba 25%, and Liangshan 12.5%. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the highest annual output reached 1.2 tons, with an average yearly output of 0.5 tons. Wild musk deer were mostly hunted from winter to the following spring. Once captured, their scent glands were immediately removed and air-dried. On average, about 160 musk deer had to be killed to obtain one kilogram of musk. Musk's wild resources were severely depleted. In 1956, Sichuan designated the Daba Mountains as a nature reserve and implemented a hunting ban. In 1958, artificial musk deer farms were established in Barkam County, Miyaluo, and Nanchuan to conduct trials on domesticating wild musk deer. In 1962, the state listed musk deer as a second-class protected animal and adopted a hunting policy combining conservation, farming, and regulated hunting. In 1980, Sichuan issued a regulation stipulating a five-year ban on hunting musk deer for their musk. In 1982, the Sichuan Musk Deer Farm was established in Dujiangyan City, and in 1983, the Sichuan Musk Deer Research Institute was set up within the farm. Commercial products are categorized by processing level into "maoke musk" (with gland shell) and "musk granules" (without shell). "Maoke musk" retains the gland shell and is valued for being plump, elastic, and strongly aromatic; "musk granules," with the shell removed, are prized for having many "dangmenzi" (high-quality inner pellets), a moist and soft texture, and rich fragrance. The main medicinal component is muscone.