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By Root 603 0

beehives were similar to the ones in Mr. B’s backyard. Tools and equipment of all kinds were piled up beside the hives. I recognized a few smokers, but for the most part the items were foreign to my untrained eyes. A family of beekeepers was tending the hives. Two of the men began smoking and opening up one of the hives. Although dozens of bees were flying around them, they did not wear protective clothing or veils. One held a frame similar to the one I had held at Mr. B’s apiary, except this one was perfectly clean, not covered in honey or bees. The other removed a single bee-covered frame from the hive and held it up to the sun. Shimmering in the sunlight, the frame was obviously full of luscious honey. The other beekeeper slipped his clean frame into the slot where the honey-covered frame had been. Before they closed up the hive, they brushed all the bees off the honey-filled frame and back into the top of the hive. Then they carried off the frame of honey with just a few stubborn honeybees following behind. They wrapped it with newspaper, placed it in a wooden box, and sealed up the box. A woman standing next to the tent accepted the box of honey and paid for it with cash. Mr. Wang told me that this is how many Chinese people get their honey—directly from beekeepers.

“Honey is an ancient tradition here, used for its health benefits. And honeybees are respected,” he said.

Before continuing to the restaurant, I took some photographs to remember what I’d seen—and, of course, to show Mr. B.

Now that I knew there were honeybees in China, I made it my mission to purchase some local honey. Mr. Wang said there was a honey shop not too far away from the factory, and after lunch we set out for it. He told me stores that sold only honey and honey products were common in China, and his wife regularly purchased honey for their family, especially when one of the children had a cold.

Turning down a side street, we arrived at a small shop with a distinct honeybee logo on its door. The interior of the shop was decorated like a beehive. There were shelves quite cleverly designed in the familiar hexagonal shape of a honeycomb, and each displaying a single jar of honey. The honeys were different shades of amber and gold. We also found real honeybees on display inside a framed glass box; this chamber of wonders allowed viewers to peek into the inner sanctum of a real beehive. A slight hum pulsed from the framed glass box as thousands of busy honeybees crawled across the honeycomb. Mr. Wang and I could feel the heat of their little bodies permeating through the glass and smell the unmistakable aroma of honey and beeswax as they went about their business.

The clerk behind the counter was busy filling a huge glass jar with honey from a stainless steel tank. A customer watched her intently, as though his honey purchase were a ceremonious undertaking. Mindful not to spill a single drop, the clerk scooped up the honey with a primitive-looking ladle and drizzled it into the container. When the jar was full, the clerk twisted the cap tightly, wiped down the jar with a rag, and brought it to the register. After a brief conversation, the customer paid and was on his way.

Waiting my turn, I peered into the glass display counter exhibiting fine specimens of various honeys, all with beautiful labels that enticed my artistic eye. Not understanding Chinese, I relied on Mr. Wang to translate for me. There was loquat honey, million-flower honey, rose honey, and many others that he was not able to translate into English. He also pointed out jars that contained a chunk of honeycomb straight from the beehive and other jars of thick, creamy honey. I had no idea there were so many types. Could any of these types of Chinese honey taste much different from the honey back home? I needed to know so I opted for a single jar of the million-flower honey, which later I learned is more commonly called wildflower. Mr. Wang motioned the clerk over to tell her which bottle we wanted. She wrapped my honey and placed it in a bag decorated with bees.

When we arrived