Minjian Osmanthus Woods-Mother of the Sweet-Scented Osmanthus

Date: 2005-10-21

Tihong gazed at the sky blue and bright
It was vast; she couldn't see its top, couldn't see its borders
Everything in the world lie under it
She was inspired
She should be like the sky, covering everything
She should like the earth, containing everything
Abstract from Osmanthus Alley by Xiao Li-Hong

A Goose's Tears

In 1981, through a friend, Xiu Bi-Hui married a tea farmer in Minjian. Her husband promised her that she did not need to help with the farming chores before they got married, but seeing her husband go out before dawn and come back after dark working hard in the farm, she just couldn't sit around and do nothing. Therefore, she quit her job and began to help her husband in the farm. The two of them helped each other in the business passed down for generations. In a few years working side by side, they developed an understanding and love so deep no one could compare.

A car accident took away her love of twenty years. Hard to face this fact, Xiao Bi-Hui wept day and night, helplessly prayed and cried to God. But, even though she cried with her heart broken and her eyes blurry, the days still came one after another. She accepted the fact that she still had a mother and three children to take care of. She eventually accepted her fate and took on the duty of caring for her family.

After her husband passed away, Xiao Bi-Hui attempted to maintain the business as usual, but, with limited finances and work force, it was really hard to care for both the house and the farm. She worked at taking out the weeds on the farm every day. From the front to the back, every time she looked up, weeds were already sprouting out again. Holding a sickle, she worked and worked, swamped in her own sweat but still couldn't bear the feeling of desolation. Time after time, she struggled to resist her fate with tears, but in the end, she still had to give up the business that her husband’s family had for several generations. She had no savings except over a hundred Osmanthus trees planted during the time of her husband’s grandfather. These trees were originally planted for flower-scented teas; these hundred-year-old trees are now taller than a man.

Photo: Sweet-scented Osmanthus trees

Fragrance - Vibes of Life

Government experts suggested she utilize the Osmanthus trees. In autumn 2003, Xiao Bi-Hui finally agreed to open up the Osmanthus Woods to the public. Tables and stools were set up under the tree for people to rest and enjoy the Osmanthus scents in the breeze.

Photo: The Mistress of the Osmanthus Woods - Xiao Bi-Hui

Not good at socializing, Xiao Bi-Hui now has to face swarms of strangers who came for the scents. A new life fell on her before she had time to wipe away her shyness. Now, Xiao Bi-Hui is quite used to pinning up her hair, putting on her green apron, and greeting her guests with the most sincere smile. Such transformation is an achievement of Xiu Bi-Hui from her effort in adjusting her attitudes and learning from mistakes; as well, guests' encouragement gave her the courage to march on bravely. Her choice to give up the tea farm and turn the Osmanthus woods into a recreational farm brought her tremendous opposition from family elders. Now, all she wants is to prove herself with silent devotion. Very often, Xiao Bi-Hui is too busy to even stop and have a sip of water, but such richness in her busy life takes away her sadness and weeping.

Golden Osmanthus Honey

Small golden Osmanthus flowers blossom only a few times a year. To collect the finest quality and freshest Osmanthus flowers, Xiao Bi-Hui hires many laborers during the mid-autumn festival (Osmanthus flowering season) to carefully handpick each and every blossomed golden flower. Collected flowers still need to be processed through a series of strenuous processes before they can be shown to customers. Osmanthus Honey is a product developed by Xiao Bi-Hui three years ago. It is a mixture of fresh Osmanthus flowers, iced sugar, and maltose. Mix a bit of the Osmanthus Honey in your water, the subtle fragrance of Osmanthus and smoothness of maltose will spread from your tongue to all your senses.

Photo: The Hundred-year-old Osmanthus Woods

Tip: Osmanthus flowers bloom in all seasons but come to a peak between August and September. Old trees give higher quantity as well as quality of flowers. Osmanthus flowers taste sweet with a subtle scent of soothing fragrance. Products of the flowers include Osmanthus Honey, Osmanthus Tea, and Osmanthus Wine. Famous Osmanthus Wulong Tea and Jinxuan Tea are made with 1 to 4 mixtures of Osmanthus flowers and tea leaves.

How to get there
By Car -
National Highway 1 (JhongShan Highway)
Wangtian exit - Dadu Bridge - Provincial 14 (Tai 14) - Fenyuan - Nantou - County 150 - Chishui -Songboling
Xiluo exit - Provincial 1 (Tai 1) - Beidou - Tianzhong - County 150 - Chishui - Songboling
National Highway 2
National Highway 2 Central Section Minjian exit - Minjian - County 150 - Songbo Road
Taichung - Nantou Expressway
Taichung - Taichung - Nantou Expressway - Caotun - Provincial 14 (Tai 14) - Provincial 3 (Tai3) - County 150 - Chishui - Songboling

Mass Transportation
By Train
Get off at Tianzhong Station - take Changhua Bus Co. bus - Songboling

By Bus - Changhua Bus Co.
Tianzhong line: Tianzhong line - Chishui - Songboling (Tianzhong station: 04-8742081)
Nantou line: Nantou - Songboling (Nantou station: 049-222461)

Minjian - Osmanthus Woods
No. 13, Alley 503, Mingsong Rd. Section I, Puzhong Village, Minjian Township, Nantou County
TEL: 049-2583327