A Study On Apiculture In Yuan Dynasty

Chinese traditional apiculture has emerged since East Han Period. With a budding procession in Wei-Jin, a transition in Sui-Tang, a development in Song, apiculture was enriched with plentiful experiences, which made a good foundation for its growing in Yuan Dynasty. Kublai succeeded the throne and adapted the advice of his old officials, ruling the empire by Confucianism and physiocracy, "the empire is based on people, the people are based on food, food and clothing are based on agriculture". Measures like setting up offices of Agriculture, editing agricultural books were taken afterwards to ensure physiocracy. Against this background and the unity of Yuan Dynasty, apiculture spread over a large area and reached all over the nation, innovated in apiary manufacture and management, protection over apiary cutters, means and disciplines of cutting apiary, methods of bee catching, bee multiplication, departing of honey and wax, bee wax making, prediction of harvest, etc. Apiculture techniques were enormously developed. Besides, in industries of food, handicraft, medicine manufacture, cosmetology and health preservation, gifting, bee products were frequently involved. We also noticed the existence of bee products in teahouses, markets and oversea cargos. There was a further expansion in commercialization of apiculture.Anyway, some other facts also caught our attention. First, in Yuan Dynasty, outdoor honey collecting was still popular. Second, Yuan Dynasty was believed to be a very cold period, which may affected the growth of honey plants. Third, insect wax started to be useed, which caused a transition of wax industry in Yuan. Fourth, apiculture was affected by the introduction and development of sugar-making techniques. Last, eating bee products was objected by some doctors. Thus the prosperity of apiculture in Yuan should not be overstated. We must be careful and reasonable.