Longan honey harvest season begins in northern Vietnam province Hung Yen

With a total longan area of some 5,000 hectares, the northern province of Hung Yen is considered Vietnam’s “longan capital”. As spring transitions to early summer, the longan orchards of the province burst into bloom, heralding the arrival of the longan honey collecting season from April to May.

For 25-30 days, bees gather nectar from the longan flowers, creating a rich and flavourful honey that captures the essence of the season. There are more than 10,000 colonies of bees concentrated in Khoai Chau district and Hung Yen city in the province, according to Nguyen Van Canh, deputy chairman of Hung Yen Gardening and Beekeeping Association.

To promote the value of longan honey, the association organises training courses and exchanges between beekeepers in the province, sharing experiences in care and knowledge of characteristics of each bee species, honey demand on the market and the flower seasons in the year for beekeepers to actively move bees for high productivity and efficiency.

At the end of spring, when longan trees start to flower, it’s honey collecting season in the province. In big orchards and small gardens of longan, rows of bee nesting boxes are placed in long lines, home to millions of bees busy searching for pollen.

The bees are natural pollinators which help to increase longan tree fruiting rate. Bees and longan trees are nature's blessing to the province, providing stable sources of income for locals.