For centuries, the Arabs and Indians dominated the spice trades, earning enormous profits from countries near and far. Many of their trade articles reached China via the Silk Route, a trade route established during the Han dynasty (200 B.C.) to transport silk to wealthy Romans. The route crossed the Gobi and Taklaman deserts, then over the Pamir mountain range and into the Middle East. Although the Silk Route languished for a time after the fall of the Roman Empire (about 500 A.D.), its well-worn path enjoyed new traffic during the T'ang dynasty (600 A.D. To 900 A.D.) One city along the route, known as Chang'an (Sian), boasted more than one million people. The world's largest city during the T'ang dynasty, Chang'an was a popular hub for the transport of musk, camphor and silk to the West.

Starting in the late 700s, China's wealth, power and agricultural resources began to grow significantly. But it wasn't until the Sung dynasty (about 950 AD to 1200 A.D.) that China was exporting (rather than importing) spices on ocean fleets. From 1130 to 1237, the Chinese navy grew from a force of 3,000 to 50,000. Some boats were so large that they could carry 6,000 baskets of spices.

Always looking to boost the GNP, the government tried to create a monopoly in Southeast Asia by penalizing those who made deals with independent operators. Though this policy initially yielded huge quantities of money, the dynasty was later taken over by the Mongols. Marco Polo visited during their reign and was able to see first hand, the extensive spice production China had achieved. Native Chinese overthrew the Mongol Yuan dynasty and created the Ming dynasty, which ruled from 1368 to 1644. During the Ming dynasty, an attempt was made to recreate China's maritime empire (during the Mongol regime, China controlled nearly all of Eurasia.). Although trade flourished for a while during the Ming dynasty, a lasting trade foothold was not meant to be. Constant attacks from the Mongols made trade nearly impossible.

Even if Asia couldn't stay in the trading game, it made several interesting contributions to perfume history. For many Asian cultures, perfuming the environment in which they lived was just as important as perfuming their bodies. Taoists believed in the transformation of various life forms and it's no wonder that they were fascinated with incense, which transformed itself from a brown stick into an invisible and heavenly presence. Consequently, it's no surprise that massive incense stoves filled Chinese palaces and temples, infusing the woodwork with heavy scents. The Chinese also perfected the distillation of alcohol from wine—a crucial achievement in perfumery.  Next >>>