The incense tree (Aquilaria sinensis), endemic to southern China, faces a growing threat to its survival in Hong Kong. Its lightly scented timber is used to make incense sticks. Trade in the tree’s produce was once so important locally that the port handling such business was named after it (‘Hong Kong’ means ‘fragrant harbour’). Although the species is CITES listed, illegal harvesting is common and for a reason –high-grade agarwood can be priced higher than gold in weight. Hong Kong may be the last refuge of the tree, so it has become a honeypot for tree-snatchers.
Read the full story in the Economist: http://www.economist.com/news/china/21693263-thieves-are-destroying-tree-gave-hong-kong-its-name-fragrant-arbour
