What are the four famous incense in China?

The four most famous perfumes in history are: agarwood, sandalwood, Long Xianxiang and musk. These four kinds of fragrant materials are the best among natural fragrant materials, and the price is also very expensive. Aquilaria sinensis and sandalwood are plant spices, while Long Xianxiang and musk are animal spices.

Aquilaria sinensis is neither directly taken from trees nor directly taken from resin, but has been "knotted" in Daphne under special circumstances for thousands of years and mixed with resin, gum, volatile oil, wood and other ingredients. It usually takes more than ten years or decades for Daphne plants to have developed resin glands, and it takes a long time to become agarwood after forming incense knots.

Sandalwood is extracted from the oil of sandalwood tree species. Sandalwood is very popular in both east and west and is one of the main spices. Because sandalwood is quiet, holy and introverted, Buddhism especially respects it. It is not only used to make incense, but also used to carve Buddha statues and rosaries. It is said that the great virtue in Buddhism can emit a fragrance similar to sandalwood from the orifices such as Laogong.

Long Xianxiang, also known as Borneolum Syntheticum and Ruinao, was called borneol in ancient times to show its preciousness. Long Xianxiang is a floating object in the sea after the intestinal secretions of sperm whales are dried. In ancient times, people thought it was dragon's saliva, so they named it "Long Xianxiang". Long Xianxiang is very rare in the Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Islands.

Musk deer is a kind of deer with thick legs, like a deer, but not a deer. Males have musk sacs, which can secrete musk. Two-year-old male musk deer began to secrete musk, and the optimal secretion period was about 10 years old, and each musk deer could secrete about 50g. In addition, muskrat and other aromatic animals also have secretions similar to musk.