In late September, Taipei streets were bustling with traffic, but inside Lan Yang Foods' operations headquarters on Minquan West Road, a calm tranquility permeated the air. Chairman Lu Gentian was focused on approving official documents on his desk, the brain that directed the global market strategy; while the factory, located 60 kilometers away in the Lize Industrial Park in Yilan, was the heart, the front line where hundreds of employees worked day and night to safeguard delicious food.
Just then, the door to the chairman's office was pushed open, and General Manager He Ming'e walked in. The usually composed woman couldn't hide the excitement on her face. "Chairwoman, 1111 Job Bank just announced that we've been selected as a '2025 Happy Company' Silver Award!" Her voice broke the afternoon tranquility, causing a stir of excitement in the staff office outside.
Lu Gentian put down his pen, a relieved smile playing on his lips. This couple, who had walked hand in hand for forty-one years, exchanged glances; no words were needed, they both understood the weight of this honor. This good news from the Taipei headquarters seemed to instantly travel through a tunnel through the snow-capped mountains, warming the shared hometown of Yilan—the place that nurtured them as they grew up and later returned to cultivate their roots.
Leaving their hometown and starting point: the struggles of two Yilan boys on Dihua Street.
Let's rewind to the 1980s. It was an era of economic takeoff in Taiwan, when countless rural youths flocked to Taipei to pursue their dreams. Lu Gentian and He Ming'e, two children who grew up drinking the water of Yilan, also carried the unique simplicity and resilience of the people of Yilan. They left the familiar Lanyang Plain and started their business in Dihua Street, Taipei's most traditional commercial district.
Lu Gentian's autobiography, "Rooted in Lantian," details those arduous years. Looking back on the early days of his business, starting from a small warehouse on Yanping North Road, he would have to move and sort goods in the warehouse before dawn. Those days, filled with sweat and tears, forged his resolute will.
For the sake of his family and his reputation, what outsiders saw as hardship became, in his memory, the most solid nourishment on his entrepreneurial journey. Back then, Lanyang was not a large company whose products were sold worldwide, but just a small warehouse hidden in an alley.
The couple's division of labor began to take shape at that time. Lu Gentian ran business and found sources of goods, accumulating customers' trust step by step with his "stubbornness" and integrity. He Ming'e was the helmsman who stabilized the rear, managing everything carefully, supporting half the sky with the unique resilience of women.
"Doing business is like being a person; you must be honest." This is the ironclad rule that Lu Gentian learned in the Dihua Street commercial district of Taipei. This "DNA of honesty," which originated from his heart, was brought from Taipei to Yilan as the company expanded. When Lanyang decided to build a modern food factory in the Lize Industrial Park of Yilan, this spirit deepened into the confidence to absolutely insist on "food safety." They chose the most practical path: "genuine products at fair prices, honesty with everyone, young and old."
The ultimate challenge for your taste buds: the true skill that has earned stars on iTQi for consecutive years.
If Dihua Street commercial district is the starting point of Lanyang Food Kingdom, then this overseas affirmation from a top judging panel in Brussels, Belgium, is a milestone in Lanyang Food's craftsmanship.
iTQi (International Taste Institute), headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, is a globally renowned taste assessment organization, often referred to as the "Michelin Guide of the food industry."
In the 2024 iTQi evaluation, Lan Yang Foods' representative healthy vegetarian product, "Quinoa Edamame," stood out among numerous entries from around the world. Its amazing performance impressed the top judging panel, which consisted of more than 200 Michelin chefs and sommeliers from 20 countries, and earned it the iTQi Two-Star Medal for the first time.
This honor is hard-won. Lan Yang insists on using extra virgin olive oil, carefully selecting high-quality Taiwanese edamame and nutrient-rich red and white quinoa. Through simple seasoning and a "subtractive" process without added preservatives, the natural sweetness of the ingredients is preserved. This not only demonstrates Lan Yang's brand spirit of "professionalism, high quality, and low-carbon sustainability," but also proves that Taiwanese vegetarian products have reached top-tier capabilities that are on par with international standards.
Even more encouraging is that Lanyang's performance in 2025 was still outstanding. "Quinoa Edamame" won the iTQi Two-Star Medal again thanks to its consistently high quality.
Another classic cold dish, "Sichuan-style Spicy Wood Ear Mushrooms," also won the 2025 iTQi Two-Star Award. It features specially selected thick, round wood ear mushrooms, paired with Sichuan peppercorn oil and chili extract, resulting in a crisp, tender, and numbing flavor that showcases the rich heritage of Chinese seasoning.
The good news doesn't stop there. The most representative innovative dessert, "Q-Bo Mango Pomelo Sago," won the iTQi's highest honor, the Three Star Award, with a total score of over 90%. This product uses carefully selected high-quality mangoes as a base, paired with sweet and sour red grapefruit pulp, and adds chewy fruit and smooth coconut milk, creating a rich and layered taste. The innovative "handheld curved packaging" makes this traditional dessert easy to enjoy.
A "subtraction revolution" challenges the ultimate purity of Gourmet 100% with no additives.
As the factory's production capacity expanded, Lanyang Foods did not stop at increasing output, but instead took on the more challenging task of "quality." In recent years, Lu Gentian made a bold decision—to fully challenge Tzu Chi's "100% additive-free label" verification.
In the food processing industry, additives are often seen as "magicians" of cost and flavor; removing them while maintaining deliciousness is an incredibly difficult task. But Lu Gentian firmly states, "We used to sell our products on Dihua Street, only daring to sell them if we allowed customers to sample them. Now our products are sold in 34 countries worldwide. Although customers can't see our factory's production process, our conscience is watching."
Thus, the R&D team at the Yilan factory, with strategic support from the Taipei headquarters, embarked on a long "subtraction revolution." They rejected eight categories of additives, including artificial chemical flavorings, colorings, sweeteners, preservatives, bleaching agents, color retention agents, binders, and aluminum-containing expanders, vowing to restore the "true taste" of food.
In this almost arduous process of self-discipline, Lan Yang Foods has achieved an astonishing result—five of its products successfully reached the highest level of certification, the "100% No Additives Label," in 2025. This means that from raw material selection to manufacturing processes, Lan Yang has achieved true "zero compromise."
These five "Pure King Kong" dishes each have their own unique characteristics: "Fruit-flavored Rock Sugar Stewed Tremella" is made by stewing carefully selected white fungus until it becomes gelatinous and chewy, and is served with peaches and cranberries, presenting a natural texture without the addition of artificial gelatin; "Golden Sunshine Mushroom Rice" is made by stir-frying diced king oyster mushrooms to create a rice-like texture, and is served with cauliflower rice and red quinoa for a balanced diet; "Shiller Quinoa Chickpeas" and "Quinoa Edamame," which won the iQTi Two-Star Medal in 2024 and 2025, are both designed to be conveniently thawed and eaten, precisely targeting modern people's health needs; and "Sesame Oil Nuts Lion's Mane Mushroom" is stewed with pure black sesame oil, and includes walnuts, cashews, goji berries and red dates, making it a pure and nourishing dish that can be enjoyed anytime in winter.
Beyond its top-tier additive-free series, Lan Yang's product lines, embodying the "Double Clean" and "Clean" labels, are equally impressive. The "Energetic Pumpkin Soup," a recipient of the "Double Clean" label, forgoes artificial thickeners, opting instead for a rich pumpkin flavor paired with creamy butter, resulting in a sweet and mellow taste. Among the "Clean" label products, from the "Braised Gluten Baguette" combining the textures of gluten and bamboo shoots, to the nostalgic "Red Quinoa Taro and Mushroom Porridge," and the Italian-inspired "Pesto Mushroom Stew with Cauliflower Rice" with pesto and cashew aromas, each dish showcases Lan Yang's commitment to both deliciousness and health.
Lu Gentian proved with his products that in Lanyang's dictionary, health does not require sacrificing deliciousness. Returning to the essence of ingredients and showing their original flavor is the "real skill" honed over forty-one years.
The warmth of a happy enterprise is a promise to the people of its hometown.
When the news of Lanyang Foods being selected as a "2025 Happy Company" Silver Award by 1111 Job Bank reached the Taipei office, Chairman Lu Gentian and General Manager He Ming'e expressed their gratitude to the staff at the Taipei headquarters and the Yilan factory.
"We've come through hardship, so we know how tough life is." This phrase, which He Ming-e often says, is a testament to Lan Yang's corporate culture. As a native of Yilan herself, she treats her employees as her neighbors and family.
At Lanyang, benefits are not the bare minimum required by law, but rather the highest standard for caring for families. A transparent promotion path allows young people to see their future, while a warm workplace atmosphere makes senior employees reluctant to leave. Lu Gentian firmly believes: "Only a happy mother can cook delicious meals; only happy employees can create dishes that touch people's hearts."
This Silver Award from 1111 Job Bank for "2025 Happy Enterprise" is a double affirmation of the Taipei headquarters' operational management and the Yilan factory's humanistic execution. Happiness is not a slogan written on the wall, but is written in the attitude of Lu Gentian and He Ming'e towards every employee.
A love letter to the land of Taiwan, from planting trees to clearing up stalls.
If Dihua Street taught Lu Gentian "integrity," then the land of Yilan taught him "gratitude."
As a company deeply rooted in Yilan, Lu Gentian often says, "One must not forget one's roots, and when eating fruit, one should pay homage to the tree." This simple value has been transformed into Lanyang Foods' deep cultivation in the field of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) in recent years.
Lan Yang Foods firmly believes that sustainability is not just a slogan, but an accumulation of continuous actions. In environmental protection (E), Lan Yang has demonstrated a comprehensive commitment to "going from the mountains to the sea".
"Returning land to forests and creating a sustainable cycle" is Lan Yang's core belief. In 2023, Lan Yang responded to the United Daily News' "Tree Light Avenue Project" by traveling to Chishang Township, Taitung, to plant native high-value tree species to help restore the land. In 2025, Lan Yang was invited to participate in a meaningful tree planting activity, collaborating with the Yilan Branch of the Forestry Conservation Agency to cultivate 500 sweetgum trees at the Changling Nursery, hoping to add more greenery to the environment and ensure the continuous growth of the ecological green network.
Lan Yang's efforts to protect the ocean have never ceased. To expand its influence, Chairman Lu Gentian and General Manager He Ming'e personally led employees to Keelung's Dawulun Beach in early December to hold the company's first beach cleanup event. Affected by global warming, the December weather was scorching hot. Employees braved the blazing sun, bending over to pick up PET bottles, plastic bags, fishing nets, and cigarette butts. Their focused expressions were strikingly similar to Lu Gentian's figure carrying goods on Dihua Street forty-one years ago—the same down-to-earth dedication, the same fearlessness of getting dirty or tired.
Food safety equity: giving the best food to those in need.
In social welfare (S), Lan Yang's approach demonstrates both "magnanimity" and "precision".
Upholding the original intention of "caring for society and giving back to society", Lan Yang Foods, following its donation of Lunar New Year blessings to the Yilan Family Support Center in January this year, once again joined hands with three major charitable organizations on June 19 and June 26 this year, including the Yilan Family Support Center, the Taipei Children's Welfare Center's childcare families and Xingfu Children's Kindergarten, to donate a variety of high-quality frozen foods.
General Manager He Ming'e said, "If we're going to send something, we should send something we ourselves love to eat, and the best of everything."
This donation list is full of sincerity, including nutritious and delicious "Energetic Green Spinach Dumplings", innovative "Big Starter Cheese Cauliflower Rice", flavorful "Korean-style Clams", refreshing "Crab Meat Salad" and classic "Wanlixiang Scallop Lips". Each item is a best-selling masterpiece carefully developed by Lan Yang. Through the hands of the staff, these warm and delicious meals are delivered to the tables of disadvantaged families, allowing them to enjoy "food safety equality" in line with international standards.
Conclusion: Cultivate the orchid field diligently, and its fragrance will naturally follow.
In the title of his autobiography, "Rooted in Yilan," the name "Yilantian" is taken from Lu Gentian's name and also metaphorically represents the "fertile food field" he has cultivated throughout his life, from Taipei to Yilan. Looking back on the journey, these forty-one years can transform a young couple into elderly people with graying temples, and can also transform a small warehouse hidden in the alleys of Yanping North Road into an international food empire headquartered in Taipei with production bases rooted in Yilan.
Throughout their journey, Lu Gentian and He Ming'e have never forgotten their original aspirations for starting a business—the pure goodwill of wanting their families to live a good life and their guests to enjoy good food.
In the winter of 2025, this "Happy Enterprise" certificate will stand alongside the iTQi 3-star medal hanging on the wall.
In this noisy era that values quick success and is full of clever people, Lu Gentian and He Ming'e, a couple from Yilan, have chosen the loneliest yet most down-to-earth path—to be simple and honest "honest people".
Time may have turned their hair white, but it has not diminished their original aspirations. They have spent half their lives proving that as long as you put your roots deep in the soil and know how to be grateful for what you have, the seed called "goodness" will eventually grow into a towering tree that can shelter you from the wind and rain.
It not only sheltered its employees, whom it regarded as family, and nurtured its beloved hometown, but also presented the most authentic and touching "Taiwanese flavor" on the world stage.
