HAIKOU, June 29 (Xinhua) — In the processing workshop of Hainan Changshu Seedling Development Co., Ltd. in Chengmai County, south China’s Hainan Province, visitors were attracted by a distinct and fragrant aroma.
Agarwood materials of varying sizes and specifications were neatly arranged: whole pieces are used for carving ornaments, fragments are made into incense sticks, powder is processed into essential oils, and even sawdust is turned into high-end organic fertilizer.
Located in south China’s Hainan Province, Chengmai County is renowned as the “home of Chinese agarwood.”
“All the materials here hold value,” said Wang Dashi, the workshop manager. Wang explained that the company began its involvement in rural revitalization in 2020 and has since developed a comprehensive business model that encompasses seedling cultivation, planting, processing and sales. The company produces 500,000 agarwood seedlings annually, directly creating 60 jobs. Additionally, it provides free grafting, incense-making, and processing technology to neighboring farmers.
In Jiale Township of Chengmai, local villager Cai Qinxin’s agarwood workshop cuts raw wood into neatly shaped pieces of agarwood. “This is our local white agarwood. After artificial scent-making, it will yield fragrant resin in five years,” he said, pointing to the aroma blocks drying on racks. He noted that in the past, wild agarwood took decades, even centuries, to become mature. Now, with artificial cultivation, the industry has become scalable.
Currently, Chengmai’s agarwood plantation area has expanded to 30,000 mu (2,000 hectares), with 18 cooperatives and 42 processing bases, generating an annual output value of over 100 million yuan (13.96 million U.S. dollars). Chengmai plans to add 5,000 mu of agarwood plantations this year. Additionally, the county is promoting tourism and experiential consumption industries, centered around agarwood.
In the cultural exhibition hall of Fushan Coffee Cultural Town, a set of agarwood-based cultural and creative products inspired by Su Dongpo, a renowned ancient Chinese poet, caught the attention of visitors. These were among the entries in the local agarwood design competition held in early June.
“Agarwood is not only a fragrance but also a cultural symbol,” said Tang Dianfeng, director of Chengmai County’s tourism, culture, radio, television, and sports bureau. He added that the county will encourage mass production of outstanding cultural and creative products, bringing agarwood culture into modern life. The focus will shift from merely selling raw materials to enhancing cultural value, thereby increasing the value added to products.
“Each agarwood tree has a unique electronic ID that records the entire process, from planting to fragrance collection. In the future, we will integrate blockchain technology to trace the entire process from cultivation to sale,” said Zhang Taiji, director of Chengmai County’s forestry bureau. He noted that based on these planting bases, the county is establishing demonstration industrial parks that combine creativity, design, auctions, transactions and industrialization.
Moreover, they are promoting the integration of the agarwood industry with health, rural revitalization, and other sectors. Taking advantage of the Hainan Free Trade Port policies, they are exploring new models such as export tax rebates and cross-border e-commerce to make agarwood a true “wealth tree.”
Today, ancient trees are rejuvenating. Chengmai agarwood is now writing a story of transformation and upgrading for specialty industries. In the northern part of Chengmai, the planting base of Hainan Qinanyuan Agricultural Technology Development Co., Ltd. spans 700 mu. There, over 10 varieties of agarwood trees are flourishing in volcanic soil.
“The climate and soil in Chengmai are perfect for growing agarwood trees,” said Chen Yu, the base manager. “The agarwood produced here is just as good as wild agarwood. Artificial cultivation has made agarwood consumption accessible to ordinary people, and now, we are even more confident in growing this industry.” ■
