In recent years, wild "mushroom hunting" has become an emerging trend in China, attracting a large number of young people, especially in the southwestern regions of the country such as Yunnan and Sichuan.
"Mushroom hunting" is not a new activity, but recently this activity has suddenly become a new emerging trend in China. According to SCMP, Moral mushrooms (goat belly mushrooms), black tiger claw mushrooms, milk cap mushrooms, black crispy mushrooms, termite mushrooms and matsutake mushrooms,... are precious mushrooms that people are rushing to find, especially young people living in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces.
Instead of just stopping at the virtual world, young people are looking for real experiences, exploring nature and learning about unique mushrooms.
After being lucky enough to find rare mushroom "gems" in the forest, young people not only brought them home but also wanted to share their joy of discovery with the online community. With unlimited creativity, they created extremely unique and impressive "check-in" photos. Mushrooms with diverse colors, from the mysterious dark brown of the black tiger claw mushroom, the seductive crimson of the black crispy mushroom to the mysterious blue of the green-headed mushroom, became the perfect props to create artistic frames. And finally, they were posted on the social networking platform called Xiaohongshu - China's version of Instagram.
Many social media posts, recording exciting "mushroom hunting" trips, have quickly gone viral, turning what was originally a local hobby into a trend that attracts thousands of tourists each season.
This mushroom hunting process can stimulate tourism growth for the country of a billion people.
Yunnan, nicknamed the “kingdom of plants”, is not only famous for its biodiversity but also for its huge mushroom treasure. It is home to about 900 varieties of mushrooms, accounting for 36% of the total number of edible mushrooms worldwide. Not only is it a valuable food source, Yunnan also contributes 90% of the mushroom production to China’s domestic market. The richness and diversity of mushroom species have made Yunnan an attractive destination for scientists, chefs and food lovers.
Some types of mushrooms such as termite mushrooms, chicken mushrooms and black crispy mushrooms are quite expensive, up to 17 USD/about 0.45 kg. Of which, ganba mushrooms - the king of mushrooms - cost about 30 USD/about 0.45 kg, Matsutake mushrooms or pine mushrooms are the most expensive mushrooms with a price of about 70 USD/about 0.45 kg. The reason these mushrooms are highly valued is because they have high nutritional value, grow on high mountains, making harvesting and processing expensive.
Precious mushrooms are hunted by young people
This mushroom hunting activity has become a trend that not only contributes to increasing local income, but also helps tourism companies have new products such as mushroom hunting tours, mushroom-themed travel packages and mushroom-based meals. A 5-6 hour mushroom hunting walking trip costs about 42 USD/person, including a mushroom meal.
"Young people with higher education levels often like to explore new things and have unique travel experiences," said Nelson Wong, chief executive of mushroom importer Luen Kee Hoo.
He said this was completely different from their previous travel habits. "Young Chinese people today want something different. However, tourists should be careful because there are many poisonous mushrooms in the wild that are difficult to identify."
Local authorities have issued warnings, advising residents and tourists to only eat mushrooms that have been classified as safe by local mycologists.
