Life and Leisure

King of woods

By Huang Yiming and Li Xing (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-08 07:31

Teapots made of huanghuali or other kinds of wood are easily found in the market.

Recognizing the real deal

First-time visitors to Haikou often find themselves overwhelmed by the large number of brownish or reddish woodcraft pieces on display. Every peddler claims to be selling "authentic" huanghuali products.

Actually most of the items are made from huali grown in northern Vietnam, Thailand and elsewhere in Southeast Aisa.

"Huanghuali originating in Hainan has the highest value because its oil content is 3.8 percent whereas the oil content in the same wood grown in Vietnam is 0.8 percent, and in Thailand, 0.3 percent," says local artisan Wang Liangsen.

"It is this higher oil content that gives furniture made of Hainan huanghuali its distinctive shimmer," he adds.

"See the clear grain in this Hainan huali wood? It is called the ghost," says wood merchant Ma Qingwen. "The texture of huali from Vietnam is often untidy and rough."

Hainan huali is also heavier than that from elsewhere, Ma adds.

Despite these differences, Wang says it takes years of working with the wood to get a feel for genuine Hainan huali.