Taiwan has a long history of distilling botanical fragrances. Camphor was surely the first to gain worldwide attention. Yang Chih-kai, an assistant professor of forestry at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, takes us back to 1897, when the American botanist Lyster H. Dewey noted that the best camphor oil came from Taiwan, even though camphor trees also grew in Japan and China. During the heyday of Taiwan’s export trade in camphor, distilleries could be found all over the island, where workers chipped the wood before heating it to produce the aromatic, crystal-like solids. Taiwan once yielded 70–80% of the world’s camphor oil.

Olfactory splendor

One day in early spring, we follow renowned aromatherapist June Wen into the Botanists Memorial Garden in the Taipei Botanical Gardens. Under a gigantic Formosan sweetgum (Liquidambar formosana), Wen picks up a fallen leaf and rubs it with her fingers. “Smell it,” she says. The withered leaf gives off a refreshing fragrance. “If the leaf were fresher, the scent would be sweeter.” Wen is familiar with every scented plant in this garden. Every year she takes her students on “scent tours” in Europe and the Americas, and she has acquired an intimate knowledge of the smells of flora across the world. For her, Taiwan’s scents are by no means inferior to those of the Mediterranean island of Corsica.

June Wen observes and writes about the smells of Taiwan’s flora. Her stories of plants are richly sensuous. “Taiwan’s camphor trees emit various scents. The diversity is the greatest in the world.” The same species of tree can have different aromatic profiles, reflecting the microclimates of different environments. Depending on where they grow, the classic fragrance of camphor trees can be tinged with hints of rosewood, lavender, rosemary, or eucalyptus; they can even carry characteristically Taiwanese scents such as ­betel nut and sarsaparilla. Wen tells us that camphor has a special use for those who practice qigong. “Whenever they feel that their qi is stagnant or blocked, camphor is the best kind of scent to facilitate the circulation of qi.”

Northern Taiwan’s Mt. Lala, where Taiwan red cypresses (Chamaecyparis formosensis) grow in abundance, promises another remarkable olfactory experience. “Foreign visitors will be astonished there.”

Wen associates the scent of Taiwan red cypress with “eternity” because “it frees us from trivialities, from things at hand.” These ancient trees—some of which are more than 1,000 years old—send out mysterious energies. Once, Wen took a group of wealthy women on a walking tour in Tataka in Central Taiwan. At more than 2,000 meters above sea level, these untrained walkers, wearing facemasks, were all gasping for air. Wen invited them to put under their masks slips of paper laced with essential oil of red cypress. This effectively eased their breathing. Science suggests that inhaling red cypress oil for five minutes or more can help us relax and deal with negative emotions.

Taiwan’s camphor essential oil used to be world famous. (MOFA file photo)

(MOFA file photo)

Top-quality camphor was distilled in Taiwan, serving military and medical purposes as well as imparting fragrance and helping control insect pests. (courtesy of Yang Chih-kai)

Decoding plants

Wang Sheng-yang is a professor of forestry at National Chung Hsing University (NCHU). With its wood-paneled walls, his office looks like a log cabin in a forest. Many entrepreneurs have asked Wang to ascertain the composition of chemical compounds in Taiwanese plants in order to explore their commercial potential. Specializing in natural products chemistry and plant metabolomics, Wang is the first scientist in Taiwan to sample woodland air and analyze the phytoncides it contains in his laboratory. “Taiwan is a hotspot for biodiversity. One out of four plants is endemic. ‘Endemic’ means you can’t find it anywhere else in the world,” Wang says. His Tree Metabo­nomic Natural Medicine Development Lab at NCHU is full of expensive equipment, including a gas chromatography mass spectrometer, a nuclear magnetic resonance spectro­meter, and a liquid chromatography mass spectrometer. These devices have enabled Wang and his team to analyze natural substances extracted from plants and investigate their functions and benefits with a view to commercial exploitation. The Forestry Bureau has also enlisted Wang’s help in setting up a certification laboratory, aiming to establish standards for domestically produced essential oils.

“In my lab, my students and research assistants carry out various experiments—massaging, rubbing, or simply smelling—to see whether essential oils can affect heart rates, blood pressure, brain waves, and amylase.” Businesses are particularly interested to know whether plant-based essential oils can help tighten and lighten skin. The results of Wang’s experiments are very encouraging.

In 2020 Wang discovered that geranium and lemon oils contain active compounds that can significantly downregulate angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in human epithelial cells. The findings suggest that the oils could help reduce the risk of Covid infection. It is no secret that the Luanta fir (Cunninghamia konishii) has antifungal properties. Wang’s team applied Luanta fir essential oil to the depilated skin of lab mice for a period of 14 weeks, and found that it promoted hair growth. The 4,000 bottles of Luanta fir shampoo produced by Wang sold out almost immediately. The Japanese are especially passionate about this tree: not only is it antifungal and good for hair growth, but it also enables body cells to produce gas, thus addressing what is known as “qi deficiency” in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as alleviating depressive moods.

Flavonoids extracted from the waste peel of the lemons and mandarin oranges grown on a large scale in Pingtung County can be made into high-end health and medical products. The aromas of essential oils of shell ginger (Alpinia spp.) are calming and can lighten the skin. A former student of Wang’s has developed Alpinia facial masks for cosmetic purposes, successfully creating a commercial product.

“Without chopping down trees, can we use leaves, or branches removed during the process of thinning, to generate profits and other gains for forest farmers?” With concepts such as the circular economy and sustainability gaining traction now, Wang, who dislikes tree felling, is seeking to help forest farmers by means of scientific research and standardization. “In the context of timber stand improvement or forest management, how do we make good use of Taiwan’s agricultural residues to enhance production and increase the value-added of domestically produced essential oils? This is what we’re working on,” Wang says.

Industry is working with academia to unlock the secrets of Taiwan’s flora, creating new opportunities for domestically produced essential oils.

Antrodia cinnamomea. (courtesy of Wang Sheng-yang)

Shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet). (courtesy of Yang Chih-kai)

Taiwan red cypress (Chamaecyparis formosensis). (courtesy of Yang Chih-kai)

The island’s best wishes

Two-thirds of Taiwan is mountainous and home to large areas of relatively untouched forest. June Wen says: “As Taiwanese people, we have to reacquaint ourselves with the fact that we actually enjoy a wealth of woodland resources. But these resources are not there to be plundered and exploited. Rather, we should share space with them and learn to coexist with them.”

As we screw up our courage to face the post-Covid era, perhaps Taiwan’s woodlands can help restore our wounded souls. On 20 April, 1854, the British botanist Robert Fortune arrived in Tamsui in Northern Taiwan. There, on a hillside, he saw Taiwanese lilies (Lilium formosanum) dancing in the breeze. This flower was to become the first endemic plant to be recorded in Taiwan. “The Taiwanese lily is an extremely resilient plant, capable of resisting wind, heat, and snow. You’ll see it blooming, at different times, all the way from the lowlands to mountains 3,700 meters high,” Yang Chih-kai says. The lily represents Taiwan’s best wishes to the world.

Wang Sheng-yang’s lab boasts cutting-edge precision instruments, using science to help industry establish standardized procedures. (courtesy of Wang Sheng-yang)

Taiwanese lily (Lilium formosanum). (courtesy of Yang Chih-kai)

June Wen believes that forests are guardians of Taiwan that deserve our appreciation.