The Tonkin bamboo products had been already famous in the world, but almost no one knew its origin in quite a long period of time. The initial Tonkin bamboo products markets were under control of nonlocal merchants. Firstly, the bamboo traders from Hongkong and Guangzhou established bamboo marketplaces alongside the bank of Sui River, purchased locally the “sanded bamboo poles” and resold to Japanese merchants. The Japanese merchants repacked them in the name of “Tonkin bamboo”, then sold to Europe and America via Tonkin gulf. For this reason, most people assume from the common name 'Tonkin' bamboo that the species grows along the gulf of Tonkin, but its real identity is little known. Until early of 20th century, the United States Department of Agriculture gave orders to the institutions stationed abroad to launch a inch-by-inch search, in order to make fully clear the origin of the mystical bamboo. Later, they found it was originated in China. Then informed Dr. Floyd Moglure, who was an instructor and professor at Lingan University in Guangdong, China from 1919-1941 to submit a site investigation report. Thereupon, in the autumn of 1925, Dr. Floyd Moglure companied with Professor Fengqing from Lingnan University came to and lived in Datong village, Aozai town for more than 10days, observed and photographed the cultivation and processing of Tonkin bamboo. Later, Luis Marden, who was a student of Dr. Floyd McClure, published papers on Tonkin bamboo in Dr. Floyd McClure's book 'Genera of Bamboos Native to the New World' , culminating in his own books 'The Angler's Bamboo'. In the books,Tonkin bamboo is highly appraised, and stated as “Tonkin bamboo has no competitors in the world”, “the most beautiful bamboo in the world” and “the bamboo king in the world”. So far, the origin of Tonkin bamboo became clear. Since then, the Tonkin bamboo products originated from Huaiji County enjoy a good market abroad.
厘竹为什么翻译成“东京”竹？
厘竹制品在世界市场虽早已名声大噪，但在当初相当长的一段时间里，它却是一个隐性埋名的“侠客”。最初的厘竹市场基本受外地商人钳制:首先是香港、广州等地竹商在厘江沿岸开办竹庄，直接原地收购“沙白竹”专卖给日本商人。日本商人则以“东京竹”为名重新包装，然后转道东京湾转销欧美市场。因此，欧美地区一直称为“东京竹”或“竹王”，其真正身份一直鲜为人闻。直至20世纪初，美国农业部为了彻底弄清这神秘竹子的来历，下令各驻外机构开展地毡式搜查。后来发现其原产地在中国，又马上通知时在岭南大学任教的植物学教授莫古里Moglure尽快提供实地调查报告。于是1925年秋天，莫古里与岭南大学冯清教授一起，到坳仔大同村住了十多天，详细考察厘竹种植、生长和加工情况。在后来出版的《世界竹子研究》一书，莫古里在书中对厘竹赞叹不绝，说厘竹是“世界上再无其它竹子能与它竞争的竹子”、“世界上最美丽的竹子”、“世界竹子之王”。至此，厘竹正式得以认祖归宗了，从此，怀集“坳仔”厘竹畅销海外.
