Aromatic rice, a famous rice type with high nutritional value and a distinct aroma, has been planted in South and Southeast Asian countries since ancient times. Recently, it has gained in popularity and gained a significant market share in the global rice trade resulting in higher prices and increased production in many countries. However, in China, a minimal area has been planted with aromatic rice because of its low resistance to disease, low yield and other disadvantages of the aromatic rice cultivars. As the standard of living has improved, China has begun to focus on the production of quality food, so researchers have started to pay more attention to aromatic rice and have bred some aromatic rice cultivars. However, finding ways to increase the concentration of the aroma of aromatic rice has proved challenging based on the low yield and poor quality of existing cultivars. 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) is a buttered-popcorn-like aromatic compound found in both basmati and jasmine aromatic rice, and is considered a primary aromatic component of aromatic rice; this highly volatile and lipophilic compound occurs in the stems, leaves and grains of aromatic rice. L-proline is widely considered to be the nitrogen source for 2-AP and Δ-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid (P5C) and has been proposed as one of the main precursors required for 2-AP synthesis. P5C is the common intermediate in the metabolic pathways of proline, ornithine and glutamic acid synthesis. Among these three pathways, the proline pathway is the major pathway used for the synthesis of 2-AP, in which proline to P5C is mediated by proline dehydrogenase, which is then used to synthetize 2-AP. Genetic factors play a major role in determining the aroma content of aromatic rice, and environmental factors and cultivation practices have a substantial effect on the quality of aromatic rice. The aroma of aromatic rice can be increased using low-density cultivation techniques, shallow irrigation, low levels of nitrogen, and moderate use of trace element fertilizers containing elements such as zinc, iron and lanthanum. However, unsuitable post-harvest conditions and some plant growth regulators can reduce the 2-AP content in aromatic rice considerably. Using better packaging materials, such as vacuum packing in nylon pouches, can retard volatilization of the aromatic compounds in aromatic rice. Temperature during grain filling, ripening and storage also plays an important role in the development of the aroma of aromatic rice; lower temperature, especially at night, has positive effects on aroma formation during the grain filling and ripening stages compared with higher temperature. Additionally, 2-AP content declines over time and is significantly affected by the temperature during storage. The sowing date affects proline and 2-AP content in aromatic rice as a result of variations in light and temperature conditions. Hence, a field experiment was carried out using Guixiangzhan and Nongxiang18 cultivars to determine an appropriate sowing date for late season aromatic rice in South China's double-cropping region and to study the effects of different sowing dates on aroma (2-AP), activities of proline metabolic enzymes and yield. The results show (1) Aromatic rice sown on 20 July achieved the highest 2-AP content. Treatments having higher 2-AP content also had a higher free proline content, higher proline oxidase activities in grain and higher levels of proline dehydrogenase. (2) Guixiangzhan sown on 15 July and Nongxiang18 sown on 20 July achieved the highest grain yield, and both had a high harvest index, high levels of dry matter accumulation and rapid crop growth rates. (3) The appropriate late season sowing date for aromatic rice was between 15 July and 20 July.