香港 and 沉香

choi

Trees in Hong Kong | Fragrant Arbour; Thieves are destroying the tree that gave Hong Kong its name. Economist, Feb 20, 2016.
http://www.economist.com/news/ch ... ame-fragrant-arbour

My comment:
(a)
(i) The title is wordplay on "Fragrant Harbour."
(ii) arbor
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arbor

(b)
(i) "Mr YEUNG [Siu Yu] forsook city life to keep bees on the carefree (and car-free) island of Lamma, a couple of miles from the main island of Hong Kong"

Lamma Island  南丫島
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamma_Island
(section 1 Name)
(ii) Alexander Dalrymple
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Dalrymple
(1737 – 1808; Scottish)

(c) "one of the most cherished species, the incense tree (Aquilaria sinensis), faces a growing threat to its survival [in Hong Kong, and perhaps in China also].  The evergreen tree is endemic to southern China. Its lightly scented timber is used to make incense sticks. When damaged, the tree’s aromatic resin may develop into a dark, dense substance known as agarwood, which is prized for its supposed medicinal properties."

Aquilaria sinensis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquilaria_sinensis
(沉香; The smooth bark is grayish to dark grey, and the wood is white to yellowish – so giving it another Chinese name "Pak Muk Heung" [Cantonese for 白木香] (White Wood Incense))

(d) "Trade in the tree’s produce was once so important locally that a port handling such business was named 'fragrant harbour.' The British later applied that name—'Hong Kong'—to the colony they founded around the port. The commercial harvesting of incense trees ended in the territory more than a century ago. Nowadays most specimens are growing in the wild, including in woodlands preserved by ancient villages."
(i) Ap Lei Chau  鴨脷洲
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ap_Lei_Chau
(section 1 History)
(ii) The "fragrant harbour" in The Economist is now Aberdeen Harbour, which is sandwiched between 鴨脷洲 and Aberdeen 香港仔, Hong Kong
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberdeen,_Hong_Kong
(an area of Hong Kong Island; section 1 Etymology; section 2 History: meaning of 香港仔)

(e) "Most of the thieves work for criminal gangs based across the border in mainland China. In recent years a relaxation of restrictions on travel from the mainland to Hong Kong has made their work easier."
(f) There is no need to read the rest. I am mainly interested in the tree and the name origin of Hong Kong.