Gangshan District, Kaohsiung is famous for its breathtaking limestone terrain. This produces high alkaline soil which produces world class longan fruit. This crop regularly flowers and attracts bees that produce the finest quality honey, with a unique floral flavor. There are numerous longan orchards in Gangshan and therefore the center of Taiwan's longan honey industry.

Longan trees almost blossom one month after Tomb Sweeping. This is beekeepers' busiest season. However this year, according to beekeeping veteran of over 50 years Mr. Chen Cong-wun (aka "Papa a-Wen"), spring was unusually cold, resulting in a late bloom. This followed with numerous days with temperatures of approximately 28 degrees and the longest honey harvest season, with the best quality honey in 10 years!

Papa a-Wen adopts the extraction system, which takes a few days longer to harvest (10 days instead of 5 to 7 days), resulting in better quality of honey. Papa a-Wen's "XO Grade" label offers a pure honey which soothes the throat, is sweet, smooth and bares the scent of longan blossoms. Natural honey looks slightly cloudy. After shaking, it foams up with tiny bubbles and maintains the air bubbles for more than half hour.

With its gentle texture and rich aroma, Taiwan produces some of the best honey in the world. It is Papa a-Wen's dream to bring his honey to as many people as possible. Helping him fulfill his dream is son, Chen Jheng-cheng who not only inherited his father's enthusiasm and appreciation of honey but also assisted in upgrading the family business. By acquiring a subsidy from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, he renovated the farm and redesigned the packaging. This has upgraded the family business, providing a high-end portfolio and putting it on par with the world's top-notch honey brands.

Other beekeepers in Gangshan District also share Mr. Chen's vision to promote the industry. An A-Lien District Beekeeping owner, Mr. Chen Guo-jheng has also devoted his entire life to the profession. During his interview, Mr. Chen demonstrated the harvesting process. At first, he opens the hive slightly, allowing a small amount of air to circulate and alert the bees to their impending visitor. It is then fully opened, and Mr. Chen quickly pumps in smoke. This subdues the bees and stops them from becoming agitated and attacking. In each hive he checks the eggs in the queen's compartment, the worker bees' diet and if the "nannies" are doing their job taking care of the next generation. He gets so focused on his task; he barely notices the sweat pouring off his face.

"I have spent my entire life chasing flowers", he declares. He often loads as many as 300 hives in the back of his truck and drives from Gangshan District (in Kaohsiung) to Taima Township, Taitung County, sometimes he goes as far as Fuli Township in Hualian County. He travels from town to town in search of the best bee pastures. Sometimes this leads him into the remote areas deep in the countryside. His hard work however, has not been in vain and over the years, he has won countless awards and recognition.

Mr. Chen Guo-jheng, a second generation beekeeper and veteran of 36 years, taking over from his father who worked in the profession for 70 years. Since 1988, he has also been participating in the National Honey Quality Award. Each time he attends, he learns something new and improves the quality of his honey. The highlight of his career came in 2005, when he won the Shen-Non Prize (a prestigious award given to people who have demonstrated an outstanding achievement in agriculture).

Natural honey has a shelf life of about 2 years; however, if the water percentage is too high, it causes fermentation and premature souring. Therefore, he keeps the water content around 18.2%. Mr. Chen Guo-jheng is very proud of his quality product and maintains a high percentage of repeat business. He is content with his establishment and feels his greatest reward is to see the honey he produces enjoyed by others.