Agarwood · Chief of All Fragrances
Agarwood is the resinous substance formed when Aquilaria trees of the Thymelaeaceae family are wounded; combining resin with wood and aged over years, it sinks in water and its fragrance is pure and refined, hence it is called the chief of all fragrances.
Aliases: sinking-grade incense, shenxiang, honey fragrance (ancient names).
Source: Aquilaria trees of the Thymelaeaceae family secrete resin after being wounded; it combines with the wood and is aged over years.
Origin: Hainan, Vietnam (Hui'an lineage), Indonesia/Malaysia (Sin Chew lineage), Cambodia, etc. Ding Wei's Tianxiang Zhuan first proposed that "Hainan agarwood is the finest under heaven."
Aroma: pure, sweet, cool, penetrating, with rich layers; faint when smelled raw, intense when burned, with a lingering finish of floral, fruity, and honey notes—the so-called "pure and refined as lotus and plum blossom."
Uses: Burning incense (indirect heat, seal incense), carving, medicinal use (promoting qi circulation and relieving pain, aiding qi intake and calming asthma).
Grade Overview
- Classified by "oil content and formation method": shengjie (living结), shujie (mature结), chonglou (insect-bored), huangshu, zhànxiāng.
- Classified by "sinking grade": sinking grade, zhànxiāng (semi-sinking), huangshu (non-sinking).
- Qinan (kyara) is a variation of agarwood—soft and sticky, cool and sweet, chewy and teeth-adhering, especially expensive.
For detailed study seeAgarwood Study、Study of Qinan OriginsandXiang Cheng Translation and Annotation · Volume One。
Agarwood · First Among Incenses
The following Q&A is compiled from site content for quick reference; incense material medicinal properties are traditional descriptions and do not constitute medical advice.
What does agarwood smell like?
High-quality agarwood commonly has complex notes of cool, sweet, floral, fruity, and milky, changing with temperature and time. The saying "one wood, five fragrances" means different parts of the same material also differ in scent.
How do fragrances differ by region?
Hainan agarwood is mostly clear, elegant, and sweet; Vietnamese agarwood has pronounced coolness; Indonesian regions tend to be mellow and rich. Region is only a stylistic coordinate—final judgment is based on actual appreciation of the material.