Matsutake forager devoted to delivering nature’s bounty at its finest

Staff members pack matsutake mushrooms at a trade market in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 24, 2025.

Jidi Village, a Tibetan settlement in Shangri-La City, is a veritable haven for matsutake mushrooms. Every July, villagers are busy harvesting and selling matsutake, from dawn to dusk.

Among matsutake foragers is Chunpi, a 34-year-old local who was well-versed in the art of foraging for and trading matsutake mushrooms from a young age. After graduation in 2017, he returned to Shangri-La and has since been promoting matsutake sales through e-commerce.

While keeping his focus on improving the quality of matsutake, Chunpi has committed himself to building a distinct brand in recent years. Thanks to his efforts, a matsutake trade market incorporating offline transactions, livestreaming, and cold storage was set up in the village in 2024.

Matsutake mushrooms from the village are not only sold nationwide, but also exported to countries including Japan and South Korea. Statistics show that Jidi Village traded 300 tonnes of matsutake mushrooms last year.

Speaking of the future, Chunpi hopes to turn Jidi Village into a premier destination for matsutake picking tours, creating more opportunities to boost villagers’ income. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

A livestreamer promotes matsutake mushrooms in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

Tourists experience matsutake picking in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

A livestreamer promotes matsutake mushrooms at a trade market in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

An aerial drone photo shows a view of Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

Chunpi (C) and villagers load matsutake mushrooms onto a vehicle in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

A villager picks matsutake mushrooms in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

This photo shows a matsutake mushroom in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

A villager shows a matsutake mushroom she picked in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

Tourists taste matsutake mushrooms in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

A drone photo shows villagers selling matsutake mushrooms at a trade market in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

A villager forages for matsutake mushrooms in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

Matsutake mushrooms are loaded onto a vehicle in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

Chunpi (C) shows tourists matsutake picking in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

Staff members take photos of packed matsutake mushrooms at a trade market in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

Chunpi (L) and a villager sort matsutake mushrooms in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

A staff member packs matsutake mushrooms at a trade market in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

Chunpi (2nd, L) and staff members sort matsutake mushrooms at a trade market in Jidi Village, Shangri-La City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

Reference Link:- https://english.news.cn/20250730/18ed4be6d9354913bc7a26462eb36db1/c.html

Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan Founder & Chair, Global Silk Route Research Alliance

Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…