Linqu drips with a 'sweet' industry

In early autumn, the Yishan Scenic Area in Linqu county, Weifang, comes alive with lush greenery. Nestled deep in the mountains, the area is home to Shandong Provincial Chinese Honeybee Protection Zone, where honey season is abuzz.

Xu Jian, the apiary's manager, removes honeycombs from the hives and places them in a honey extractor. The air fills with a sweet aroma as he gently spins the golden honey out of the combs and into a container.

Bees work ceaselessly to make stores of honey. [Photo provided by Zhao Chenxu/For chinadaily.cm.cn]

Xu explained that Yishan's rich biodiversity with locust trees and wild vitex provides a unique flavor to the honey produced here. "The environment here is perfect for beekeeping," he said, smiling as he watched the honey collect.

Yizhiyuan Apiary spans over 4.85 hectares, with more than 500 hives. Its efforts have boosted local beekeeping, with surrounding areas now supporting 2,000 hives of Chinese honeybees.

Zhao Yunliang, a local beekeeper, has been in the industry for 23 years. "Yishan's honey is high-quality and always in demand," Zhao notes. This year, he harvested 3.5 metric tons of honey, earning over 200,000 yuan ($28,180). The low labor intensity of beekeeping makes it popular among rural communities as a source of income.

Linqu county's pristine ecosystem has made it a natural haven for honey production. With more than 60 processing companies, beekeeping has become a major part of the local economy and put Linqu at the forefront of honey production in Shandong, contributing to rural revitalization and economic growth. (Edited by Lin Li)