Liaobu Incence Market

134.Liaobu Incence Market

Nominating Unit: Liaobu Town, Dongguan

The tree for producing Guan Incense, also known as Aquilaria tree or Nü’er Incense, is a kind of Thymelaeaceae Aquilaria genus. It is among the second class national protected plants. As a kind of famous economic useful plant, the balsam containing parts of it is the renowned Chinese eaglewood. The eaglewood rich in balsam turn to be dark brown,firm and heavy, which sinks into the water easily. The skin of the tree is white and smooth, with flexible fibers in it. Therefore, it has been the raw material for high class paper ever since the ancient times. The paper made from eaglewood is called incense paper. It is said that the washing and drying of Guan Incense was done by girls, who would hide the best incense in their clothes and exchange it with cosmetics. Thus, the name “Nü’er(girls) Incense” was gained.(https://www.daowen.com)

It has enjoyed a long history for eaglewood planting in Dongguan. According to the historical records, Guan Incense was imported from foreign countries in the Tang Dynasty. During the Song Dynasty, Guangdong planted the tree in many places, among which Dongguan planted the most. It is recorded in Dongguan Xian Zhi written in Qiaqing period of the Qing dynasty, that “Guan Incense became wellknown to the world in the Ming Dynasty.” It’s also written in Guangdong Shi Zhi that “Most of the people in Dongguan got wealthy in the business of incense,” and “When Guan Incense was in vogue, the sales amount reached more than 10 thousand.” The cultivation and processing of Guan Incense contributed to the formation of incense trade.For a long period, Dalingshan and Liaobu are the main producing areas, while the markets of Dasha, Dalang, Liaobu, Chashan are the main distribution centers, among which Liaobu has continent waterways. Therefore, the markets in Liaobu boomed, and Guan Incense is hotly sold there, making it a famous market. During the Ming and the Qing Dynasties, Liaobu Incense Market, together with Guangzhou Flower Market, Luofu Medicine Market, and Hepu Pearl Market were named “Four Famous Markets in Guangdong”. In the heyday of the incense market, sellers and buyers from different places gathered in Liaobu, making it a heaving and busy place. With annual income reaching more than hundreds of thousands liang of silver (money in ancient China), Liaobu became the most prosperous one among the four famous cities in Guangdong.

During the reign of Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty, the palace always sent officials to Dongguan for levying of incense, for the top-class incense was expensive and difficult to get. Out of fears of being persecuted by the officials, lots of people pulled down their trees and fl ed, affecting badly the production of Guan Incense. Worse still, as the Qing administration closed itself off to international interaction, Guan Incense could not be exported, leading to the decline of Liaobu Incense Market. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, there are still some incense markets open before the Spring Festival and several vendors selling incense on weekdays. However, the deforestation has severely cut down the number of eaglewood trees. It is urgent to make greater efforts for the protection and support of it.