It turns out that the “culprit” behind the depletion of the village’s water supply is a rare and valuable resource worth hundreds of billions of VND.
The water source for a rural community in the town of Changshan, Hubei Province, China, is drawn from a nearby lake. However, two days ago, an incident occurred that suddenly left the entire village without water. Initially, the village secretary suspected that there was an issue with the water supply system, but after thorough inspection, they found that the problem lay elsewhere.
The manager of the village water supply system pondered for a while and concluded that since the system seemed to be functioning normally, the issue might be related to the lake itself. Together with the village secretary and a few others, he went to inspect the area. Eventually, they discovered that the water supply area of the lake was being obstructed by something. This obstruction appeared to be large and heavy, making it difficult to move. As a result, they arranged for a large excavator to be brought to the site.
After digging under the lake, villagers found a massive log measuring 24 meters long. (Photo: Kknews).
After half a day of digging, they uncovered an enormous log measuring 24 meters in length and weighing 7 tons. This log was blocking the water source. Strangely, the surface of the log was pitch black and appeared quite ominous. Villagers believed that this log should have drifted away due to the rising water levels from heavy rains a few weeks prior.
Moreover, despite being submerged in water for an extended period, the log showed no signs of decay. The village secretary called for a truck to transport the log to the village lumber mill. They decided to cut it open to examine its interior.
Unexpectedly, after being split in half, the log emitted a fragrant aroma. The owner of the lumber mill exclaimed: “This is precious black sandalwood, more valuable than gold; we are going to be rich!”
The log, despite being submerged for years, showed no signs of decay. (Photo: Kknews).
Black sandalwood is a particularly rare type of wood with grain patterns resembling golden threads. This tree is typically found in Sichuan and some other regions south of the Yangtze River. Black sandalwood has a fragrant scent, straight and dense grain, and is resistant to deformation and cracking, making it a valuable material for high-end construction and furniture.
Historically, it was primarily used for constructing royal palaces, temples, and high-quality furniture. In ancient feudal times, only royalty and the emperor were permitted to use this type of wood, earning it the nickname “emperor’s wood.” It differs from ordinary sandalwood in that its grains glisten like golden threads under sunlight, exuding a delicate fragrance. Black sandalwood is categorized into different grades, typically based on the age of the tree; the older the tree, the more valuable the wood.
It turns out that the log is a thousand-year-old black sandalwood, valued at no less than 300 billion VND. (Photo: Kknews)
The most premium variety is the thousand-year-old black sandalwood. This type has developed through natural mutations over the last two thousand to tens of thousands of years due to earthquakes, floods, and landslides burying various organisms or plants.
The log discovered by the villagers is thousand-year-old black sandalwood. Therefore, its value is incredibly difficult to quantify. This log is estimated to be at least 3,000 to 10,000 years old, with an estimated worth of no less than 100 million CNY (over 300 billion VND), and is potentially priceless. The high value of this wood stems from its extreme rarity, as it takes a long time to form and is located in challenging terrains for extraction. Furthermore, finding such wood also relies on luck.
How to identify black sandalwood
First is “LOOK,” not every sandalwood with golden thread patterns is black sandalwood. When examining the wood grain, use a high-intensity flashlight to shine on the wood. Over 80% of black sandalwood has abundant golden thread patterns, while about 50%-80% may have partial patterns; however, top-grade black sandalwood is very rare, making up only about 5% or less.
Second is “TOUCH,” old black sandalwood contains a lot of oil, similar to ebony. Just polishing it with a cloth can reveal the sheen of black sandalwood, smooth like glass. Running your hand over the polished wood surface should feel smooth, akin to stroking a piece of jade.
Third is “SMELL,” old black sandalwood has a distinctive, delicate fragrance that is very pleasant, calming, and different from the slightly pungent smell of younger wood.
