The Import and Consumption of Myrrh in Premodern China

The resin collected from Commiphora myrrha growing in the middle east region, Myrrh(沒藥), was recognized as a valuable incense material and was used for incense burning and medical purposes. Myrrh was introduced to Europe via the Mediterranean and was widely welcomed. It was also exported to East Asia and was actively used as a medicinal ingredient in China.Myrrh was exported to China through the Silk Road that opened during the Han Dynasty. However, during the Tang Dynasty, the center of international trade shifted to the sea. Myrrh was transported by ship on the maritime trade route from the Arabian Peninsula to India, through the Malay Peninsula, and then to southern China. The Chinese gradually collected and corrected information about Myrrh, and also studied the medicinal effects of Myrrh.The Chinese considered it a mysterious and magical medicine that had the effect of relieving blood clots, and incorporated it into remedies for swelling and boils. The awareness of myrrh led to a strong demand for myrrh, but it was difficult for myrrh, which was an imported product through long-distance trade, to easily meet that demand. In China, in order to solve the problem of supply shortage, substitutes for Myrrh were developed, and even counterfeit products were manufactured to replace Myrrh.