Die Honigsammler von Yunnan (360° - GEO Reportage)

For thousands of years, migratory beekeepers have been roaming China. They always place their hives exactly where the plants that produce particularly palatable or medicinally effective honey are blooming. The majority of Chinese migratory beekeepers are located in Yunnan, in the mountainous southwest of China. The air, water, and soil are significantly cleaner here than in the rest of the vast country. The honey from Yunnan has always been considered the best in China. A film by J. Michael Schumacher © 2016, Licensed by MedienKontor / ARTE Subscribe to wocomoTRAVEL: https://goo.gl/tIk2Qc Follow us on Facebook:   / wocomo   Press release: At the end of summer, 33-year-old Xing Bangwang, along with many other migratory beekeepers, moves to the Dongchuan region, the "Red Land." There, white rapeseed blooms from August onwards, a rich energy source. It has a particularly sugar-rich nectar and thus guarantees high-quality honey. However, for years now, the season's finale has been canceled because the summer rainy season lasts far too long and is too wet for the sensitive honeybees. Xing hopes this year will be different. 360° - GEO Reportage accompanied the honey collectors of Yunnan. Chen Chunfeng, 29, is still a newcomer to beekeeping. Because he no longer wanted to work in a machine factory, he quit his job and switched to "back to nature." However, this led to the breakup of his marriage, and he rarely sees his young daughter anymore. He wants to change that and, not least, prove to his wife that he can also be successful as a beekeeper. Because then, his daughter in particular hopes, there might be a second chance for the family. Chen prefers to keep his bee colonies in the south of the province, near the Red River, where farmers hardly use pesticides. His organic honey is already in demand. To market it even better, he plans to grow a spectacular "bee beard" as a marketing stunt. But will he have the courage to let tens of thousands of bees cover him in front of the cameras?