[1] Its hard, astringent fruit is used in traditional Chinese medicine[2] and as a food in East Asia.

In China, both the tree and its fruit are called mùguā (木瓜), which also refers to papaya and the flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa).

[5][circular reference] Trees grow to 10–18 m tall, with a dense, twiggy crown.

The fruit is a large ovoid pome 12–17 cm long with five carpels; it gives off an intense, sweet smell when it ripens in late autumn.

[citation needed] In Haeju, North Korea two Chinese Quinces planted in 1910 are national monuments, being probably the tallest of specimens in the country.