What Are Chenxiang and Guanxiang? A Guide to Chinese Agarwood

Agarwood is the fragrant, resin-rich material formed in certain Aquilaria trees. In Chinese it is commonly called chenxiang (沉香). Guanxiang (莞香) belongs to the Dongguan story of that material: the national intangible heritage record identifies it as a prized local agarwood tradition, not a second botanical species.

The tree is not the finished incense

The Dongguan heritage record describes deliberate work on selected trees, a long period of formation, and harvesting followed by sorting and refining. It names different grades and forms. That is why a photograph of a living tree cannot tell you the scent or quality of a particular piece of agarwood. The record concerns one regional practice; it should not be turned into a universal recipe for all agarwood.

From material to finished fragrance

In the recorded Dongguan process, harvested material may be cleaned, sorted and used for heating, ground as powder, or made into incense sticks and other forms. A stick labelled ‘agarwood incense’ is therefore a finished product, not necessarily an unblended piece of wood. Ask what ingredients and method the maker actually declares.