Traditional brewing techniques of Baima natural honey
Since ancient times, the Baimashan area in Wulong has been rich in forest resources, with good natural ecology, widespread distribution of wild bees, and extremely common honey resources. Since ancient times, local indigenous groups have had the tradition of collecting wild honey, and in the process of practice, they have formed a set of techniques for finding bee sources, extracting honey and making wax. Native bee breeding in the Baimashan area began in the early Ming Dynasty. According to the local legend about native bee breeding, during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1398), General Lan Yu led the army to pacify the Southwest Yi. When the army passed through the Baimashan area, a royal doctor saw that the flowers here were in full bloom and wild bees were flying. He was sure that it could produce high-quality honey, so he taught the local indigenous people the Central Plains beekeeping and honey-making technology. Since then, native bee breeding technology has taken root in the Baimashan area, and it has been more than 600 years since then. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Baimashan native honey brewing technology gradually developed, and the honey produced was famous for its natural and strong medicinal effects, and it enjoyed a high reputation in the surrounding areas of Sichuan and Guizhou. Among the farmers in Baima Town, beekeeping has become an important family sideline, and even families who make beekeeping their profession have emerged. According to the "Wulong County Chronicles" of the Republic of China, by the end of the 1940s, there were 415 beekeepers in Baima Town, raising 9,762 barrels of bees. The traditional brewing technique of Baima natural honey is based on the good natural ecology of the Baima Mountain area in Wulong District, with the native "Chinese native bee" species as the core resource. After years of inheritance and accumulation, a comprehensive skill system has been formed that covers multiple elements such as plant communities, animal species, breeding technology, production skills and cultural values. Its core includes two parts: capturing wild bees and breeding technology. In August 2012, "Baima Honey" was rated as a certified product of agricultural product geographical indication. "Baima Honey" is rich in fructose, glucose, multiple amino acids, minerals and vitamins, and has extremely high edible and medicinal value. In 2016, it was included in the fifth batch of representative projects of Chongqing's intangible cultural heritage. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)