Wood of Worth

Rare wood and the objects crafted from it have been coveted throughout Chinese history，but as access dwindles and consumer preferences change， they're slowly losing their sheen

珍貴木材和實木家具曾是中國人的心頭好，可今天的年輕人還愿意把它們擺在家里嗎

W hen Changsha's“ChinesePhoebe Wood OldHouse Cultural Tourism Museum”burned down in May， netizens mourned the loss of what couldbe consideredanational treasure，along with the rare antique wooden furniture it housed.The curator had previouslyclaimed that the wooden structurewas over 4OO years old and valued at 1.6 billion yuan—an astonishing figure，but not entirely unrealistic，considering thatPhoebe wood， often referred to as“the gold ofwood”in China，is highlyprized for itssilky sheen.

Many questioned the authenticity of the architecture，given thatPhoebe wood，a prized material for ancient Chinese palaces and temples， hasa high ignition point of 260 degrees Celsius， andthattheauthorities'eventualestimateof the loss was only around 2.7 million yuan. The headline news still rekindled widespread public fascination with the enduring yet complicated relationship between humansand wood in the country.

For centuries， wood—especially rare types like nanmu（楠木，Phoebewood），huanghuali （黃花梨，Chinese rosewood），and zitan（紫檀， red sandalwood）—hasplayeda central role in everything frommusic-makingtomaritime expeditions，and remainsa status symbol among older generations.But doesit still hold the same appeal for young people today？

Asearlyas theWarring Statesperiod （475-221 BCE），nanmu wasalready used by noblesand elites. Known for its natural fragrance，dense structure， and fine grain， nanmu is also resistant to cracking and warping after processing， making it ideal for architectureandhigh-endfurniture.

When the tomb of Marquis Yiof Zeng from around the period wasdiscoveredinHubei province in1987，archaeologists found that the entire burial chamber was built using 5OO cubic meters of mature nanmu.The structure，including floorboards，wall panels，and cover boards，was constructed from171 massive nanmu planks.The maincoffin，also made of nanmu and elaborately painted，wasmountedonabronze frameand weighedapproximately7，OoOkilograms.

In the Tang dynasty （618-907）， the pipa， a lute-like instrument， became especially popular among aristocrats.Thanks to its striking purple hue，fine texture，and stable resonance，zitan emerged as the wood of choice for crafting these instruments.BaiJuyi（白居易），a famous poet at the time，likened a pipa's clearand crisp sound to“large pearlsand small pearls falling on a jade plate.”

Centuries later， tropical hardwoods from Southeast Asia began reaching China in greater volume，andas trade expanded，the port city of PontianakonIndonesia'sKalimantanIsland became a major export hub.To simplify the classification of these imported timbers，which havevariedandcomplexnames，Chinese tradersbegan referring to themcollectivelyas “Pontian wood，”a term still used in the timber industry today.

Valued forits durabilityagainst decayand termites，Pontian wood is traditionallyused in Guangdong to build dragon boats.Each year， following intense races，the boats are retired tonearbyriverbanks，wheretheyare caked in mud to bepreserved for the following year.Asa

AQing dynasty huanghualicabinet，inlaid with scenesmadewith various precious materials，ison displayat the Palace Museum （VCG] testamenttoPontianwood'sdurability，theoldest surviving dragon boat， complete witha dragon head and flowing white beard， is estimated to be 593 yearsold.Today，buildinga 4O-meter dragonboatfromPontianwoodcostsaround 400，000 yuan.

Between 1405 and 1433，Chinese explorer Zheng He （鄭和） undertook seven sea voyages， reachingasfarasIndiaandEastAfrica，and carrying with hima type of yellowhardwood knownas huanghuali，awood particularlyresistant to temperature fluctuations.It served both as prized cargoandballast to steadyhisshipsand becameahighlycovetedmaterialforfurniture among carpenters during the Ming（l368-1644） and Qing（1616-1911） dynasties.

Ming and Qing craftsmen often followed the Daoist belief of “letting nature take its course，” working with the wood's grain and believing that thepattern itself reflected the inner order ordained byHeavenandEarth.Whentheyencountered

defects such as tree tumors or insect damage， they would incorporate them into the design，adding distinctive flourishes to the furniture.

However，as the country endured decades of war and uncertainty after the fall of the Qing， these prized items graduallydisappeared—lost， destroyed， orhoused in museums-making survivingpiecesinprivatehandsrare，and those withaneyefortheirtruevalueevenrarer.

As the proud owner of abed made of huanghuali，WuLin，anelementaryschool teacher from Zhejiang's Ningbo city， isan exception. \"Around the 195Os，a wealthy family was preparing to go to Hong Kong and wanted to sell theirbelongings，” the 37-year-old tells TWOC. \"My grandfatherhad his eye on their huanghuali bed—he knewitwasa true treasure.”

Wu concedes that the bed likely cost her grandfather very little，given thathe earned only 16 yuan a month working as a carpenter ata local temple.Afterher grandfather passed away decadeslater， thefamilylearned thatbeds of that kind—dating back to the late Qing dynasty—were reportedly worth at least 2 million yuan.

Millions attended the 2O24 InternationalAgarwood and Huanghuali Exhibition in Haikou， Hainan province，which showcased rare wood artworks，spices，and incense （VCG]

Knownasan“eight-step bed，”a playful exaggeration of the number of stepsit takes to climb into it，beds likeWu'sare comparable to a standalone room made entirely of wood， with some even featuringabuilt-in corridor that includesspace fora dresserand toilet.

Constructed with sunmao （柞卯），a traditional joinery technique thatuses interlockingjoints instead of nails，the bed Wuhasused since childhoodisremarkablydurable，evenableto withstand earthquakes.“Ithasacanopy， like a pavilion ina Chinese garden，”Wu says.“The bed was covered in intricate openwork carvings in distinctNingbo style，likea waxberry tree witha little deer nibbling the fruit.WhenI couldn’t sleep asa child，I'd run my fingers over them and make up stories to amuse myself.\"

Xi Wang，a native of Jiangmen in southern China's Guangdong province， also fondly recalls growing up with wooden furniture.The hotand humid local climate makes sitting on aleather sofa uncomfortable.“But when you lie on wooden furniture， you feel cooled to your core. The more you use it， the glossier it becomes—just like jade，”Xi says.

When her parents married in the 1980s， they purchasedakangchuang（炕床）—afat，wooden structure thatfunctionslikeacouch—madeof hongmu （紅木，literally“redwood’inChinese）， a type of prized rosewood known forits winecolored sap that dries into deep purple-red hues， froma nearby furniture factory.“In Guangdong，dowriesoften include hongmu furniture.It's seenasa status symbol and can be passed down to the next generation，\"Xi，now in her early 3Os， explains.“When you put the heavy hongmu furniture ina newhome，itmeans youare seriousabout settling down.\"

Woodenfurnitureforanewfamilyisoften adorned withauspicious motifs：Bunches of grapes symbolize fertility and the generations to come，while bats represent “luck flying home\"—their Chinese name， fu（Σ） ，sounds the

Asix-postcanopybedmadeof huanghualifromtheMing dynasty，on displayat the Shanghai Museum [VCG]

“What are you afraid of？ Zombies don't dare go near redwood！\"

sameas fu（福），meaning fortune.“Theyare said to protect the household，\"she says.

“As a kid， I'd take afternoon naps on that bed， waking up just in time for cartoons，” she recalls. “One time， my cousin brought overa DVD of a Hong Kong zombie movie.Iwrapped myself upinablanket， shaking， tooscared towatch. My cousin just laughed and said，‘Whatare you afraid of？ Zombies don’t dare go near redwood！\"

However， thedemand for such furniture is steadily declining，as many young people now see woodenpiecesas outdated or tackyin modern home decor. Even those still hoping to purchase real wood furniture are taken aback by the soaring pricesofvaluable timber， drivenupbylimited

rawmaterialsand risingmanufacturingand managementcostsatlocal factories.

In 2017， China's ban on commercial logging pushed furniture makers to turn to imported timberfromRussiaandSoutheastAsia.Back in China，factories also face mounting costs： inspection fees，customs duties，and local taxes. “Several hongmu furniture factories in my area have closed down，”Xi，who remainsa die-hard fan of thewood，laments.

Wu，on the other hand，wouldn't personally buy anymore wooden furniture.Though she still treasuresthehuanghualibedpasseddownfrom her grandfather，“itis just too heavy，” she says. When they tried to move the bed， evenwith eight menliftingthebedbythelegs，itdidn'tshiftan inch.“Solid wood beds are alive in a way—like people，they have tempers.And the older they get，the more stubborn they become，\"Wu jokes. “So I gave up and just let it stay in the back room. Thankfully， Ilive in the countryside，where houses arebig enough.You could never fit something like thisinatinycityapartment.”