The Taitung Mountain Line’s Sweetest Secret – Chishang Happy Honey Bee Farm Farm Half Day Beekeeping Tour

Founded in 1979, the Happy Bee Farm has a rich, 45 year history. The farm sells various products made from bees raised in Taiwan. The farm offers items such as honey, royal jelly, bee pollen, and other natural products. Second-generation beekeeper Danny Jiang fancies himself a bit of a nomad, living amongst the bees and flowers while patiently waiting to collect their nectar. Though it is a difficult and tiring job, Danny loves his work and cherishes the connection to the land and nature that his profession has brought him. Originally, Danny had only came home to help his father temporarily take care of the family bee farm. After a period of time, he quit his important management position in the city and dedicated his efforts fully to caring for the bee farm and promoting ecological sustainability and healthy living. In 2019, Danny was nominated as one of the Top 100 Young Farmers and made it all the way to 5th place. This a high ranking is a testament to all the hard work and effort that Danny has put into promoting the Happy Honey Bee Farm.

Situated in pristine Chishang Township, the Happy Bee Farm is a pure and unpolluted environment ideal for high quality honey. Not only is Chishang surrounded by unspoiled mountains and rivers, it is also free of industrial pollution. Most of the nearby farmland forgoes the use of harmful pesticides in favor of more natural options. Chishang can be said to be a beekeeper’s paradise. The honey collected here is pure, natural, and can be eaten with the peace of mind that comes from eating organic food. Before the outdoor portion of the honey harvesting tour, a short educational presentation is given to provide guests with a more thorough understanding of the living habitats of the various types of bees at the farm. Guides also present useful information such as how to distinguish between real and fake honey, and how to harvest honey properly.

We’re going out to collect some honey, so throw on a beekeeping suit and let’s get buzzy! Collecting honey involves ten steps. First, everyone gathers in a circle around the bee smoker for the “Smoke Ceremony.” After praying that everything goes well, everyone enters the bee yard. Under the shade of the surrounding trees, a swarm of busy bees fly around between row after row of beehives. The beekeeper tells everyone to pair up and carefully lift up the beehive covers. Then the pairs work together to pry loose, then remove the honey super (sheets that house the honeycomb) and place them into square buckets. After putting a damp cloth onto the bucket, each pair uses poles to carry theirs over to the extraction area. The beekeeper takes over for the next step, which is cutting the honeycomb from the super, because it’s quite dangerous. Then, the beekeeper puts the honeycomb into an extractor. The machine whirls around and the honey flows out of the bottom. Finally, the honey super is put back into the beehive. Mission accomplished!

“If bees cease to exist, humans can only survive on the earth for 4 years at most” is a quote by the great Albert Einstein. This attests to the important role of bees in the ecosystem. In particular, bees are a vital component to preserving ecological balance as nearly one third of crops on the earth are pollinated with the help of bees. However, rampant environmental pollution and rampant pesticide use has damaged the environment and has drastically reduced the world bee population in recent years. Danny Jiang hopes that through guided educational tours of his bee farm, which allow guests to collect honey and experience bee-farming firsthand, will help guests understand the role of bees in the ecosystem and the importance of ecological conservation. Danny also hopes to become increasingly environmentally friendly by reducing the farm’s use of plastics and ink while increasing the use of eco-friendly paper. When you visit Danny’s Happy Honey Bee Farm, help support the local farmers and don’t miss out on the pure, delicious, and eco-friendly honey!

Friendly Reminder: Please do not use perfume, hair spray, or anti-mosquito spray when visiting the bee farm. Please also avoid wearing black and red clothing as bees do not like these 2 colors.