汉唐时代的主要香料有沉香、檀香、丁香等植物性香料和植物结晶物乳香(唐人称为薰陆),麝香、龙涎香等动物性香料以及苏合香等混合香料。大约在九世纪,由伊斯兰人采用蒸馏技术生产出了玫瑰水(中国称为蔷薇水)与其他香水。其中以乳香最为著名流行,以龙涎香最为珍贵。只有麝香是中国的传统香料,其他香料几乎都要依靠进口。而香料转运和贸易经营者大都是胡人。香料也是丝绸之路东西贸易中,西方人得以实现平衡的重要砝码。中国的丝织品、瓷器、茶叶加上麝香,对丝路沿线特别对西方产生极大的诱惑和贸易冲击,只有香料才为西方获得足够的回报。作为汉唐皇室和上流社会的高消费品,中国一直是香料的重要市场。以香料、金银器、玻璃器为代表的西方商 Han and Tang Dynasties, the main spices are incense, sandalwood, clove and other plant spices and plant crystallisation frankincense (Chinato called Lu Lu), musk, ambergris and other animal spices and Su Hexiang and other spices. About the ninth century, rose water (known as rose water in China) and other perfumes were produced by Islamists using distillation technology. One of the most famous popular frankincense, with ambergris most precious. Only musk is China’s traditional spices, almost all other spices rely on imports. Spice transfer and trade operators are mostly barbarians. Spice is also an important weight that Westerners can achieve in the trade of things on the Silk Road. China’s silk, porcelain and tea with musk exert great temptations and trade shocks along the Silk Road, especially to the West. Only the spices can provide adequate returns to the West. As a high consumer product of Han and Tang royal families and high society, China has always been an important market for spices. Western merchants represented by spices, gold, silverware and glassware