Agarwood, also known as the "King of Incense" and the top fragrance among all, has been highly sought after by literati, collectors, and enthusiasts from ancient times to the present day.

However, the formation of agarwood is not easy and requires a long time. Among countless tree species in the world, only those belonging to the Aquilaria genus of the Thymelaeaceae family can produce agarwood.

It may take decades for an agarwood tree to yield a small amount of fragrant resin, highlighting the scarcity of agarwood.

As early as the Song Dynasty, Su Shi began advocating for the protection of agarwood. During his exile to Hainan, he wrote "Record of the Customs of Qiongzhou," urging the government to regulate agarwood harvesting.

Even today, agarwood remains essential in fragrances of renowned brands like LV, Dior, and Tom Ford, coveted by people worldwide despite its scarcity.

Su Shi was not only a literary giant but also a fragrance enthusiast.

Apart from composing numerous poems about fragrance, he was also a renowned expert in fragrance blending, with his in-depth research and theoretical methods on fragrance seasons, ingredients, and utensils.

His most famous creation was a fragrance named "Spring Message in the Snow," which required collecting snowflakes from the pistil of plum blossoms as blending water. It took him seven years to perfect.

During his exile to Hangzhou after the "Wutai Poetry Case," at a time when his career was in decline, Su Shi created the "Fragrance Prescription of Dongpo's Thoughts." Despite his ups and downs in officialdom, his attitude of enjoying the moonlight and being free was reflected in this prescription, carrying an otherworldly and unrestrained aroma.

Su Shi was not the only fragrance enthusiast in the Song Dynasty. Others like Yan Shu, Yan Jidao, Ouyang Xiu, Huang Tingjian, Xin Qiji, and Lu You were also members of the "True Fragrance Boys' Club." Fan Chengda even wrote "Records of Fragrance," cataloging the qualities and forms of agarwood from various regions.

The prevalence of "True Fragrance Boys' Club" in the Song Dynasty was closely related to the prevailing trend of "fragrance enjoyment."

In 1937, a shipwreck carrying spices from the Southern Song Dynasty was discovered in Quanzhou Bay. Among the findings were frankincense, ambergris, aloeswood, sandalwood, and agarwood, weighing over 4700 kilograms. The popularity of fragrance use during the Song Dynasty can be glimpsed from this discovery.

A closer examination reveals the flourishing fragrance culture during the Song Dynasty in various aspects.