Mushroom mania fuels tourism innovation

Mushroom land

Wild mushroom growth requires specific conditions such as altitude, light, humidity and vegetation. They often grow in multidimensional climates with complex topography at an altitude of 2,000 to 4,000 meters, such as the pine forests of Yunnan. Different geographical environments bring out diversity in wild mushroom species.

To find a suitable tour route, "Youyunnan" needed to consider factors such as the local environment and transportation convenience. Their tours shouldn't interrupt the mushroom collection schedule of the locals.

After multiple surveys, they managed to find ideal wild mushroom picking routes in Kunming's Panlong district, Jinning and Anning counties, and Chuxiong Yi autonomous prefecture.

Nanhua county in Chuxiong meets the above conditions. Its varying topography gives it a landscape characterized by rolling hills and vast forests. It is the reason why it has developed its mushroom tourism industry and is held as an example for other counties in Yunnan.

In terms of climate, the annual average temperature in Nanhua is around 15 C, with rainfall of 831 millimeters every year. The average annual sunshine duration is approximately 2,440 hours, local authority said. These figures indicate a relatively favorable climate to agricultural activities and tourism.

Due to these conditions, Nanhua boasts more than 290 kinds of edible wild mushrooms, accounting for 31.2 percent of China's total edible mushroom species. In 2022, about 11,100 metric tons of mushrooms were traded in Nanhua and its total output value reached 5.291 billion yuan ($726 million).

On August 4, Nanhua hosted a ten-day mushroom culture festival. Ethnic music and dance were performed and mushroom cultural products were displayed, attracting 135,900 tourists. The festival's revenue reached 120 million yuan.

Thanks to modern transportation facilities, wild mushrooms from Nanhua can be transported to Shenzhen, Guangdong province within 12 hours. From there, they are exported to more than twenty countries and regions.

"Young people who live in some of the destinations we offer want to cooperate with us, hoping to lead tourists to their mountains to pick mushrooms and pay a small fee to local farmers in return. This way, we can promote the local farmers' produce and increase their income, allowing local residents to share the benefits of the developing tourism industry," Xu added.

Mushroom safety first

To ensure a safe and sustainable experience, it is important for mushroom pickers to have a basic knowledge of mushroom identification. While some mushrooms are edible, others can be poisonous and dangerous if consumed, making professional guidance necessary.

Li Jin, a research assistant at Kunming Institute of Botany at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is a mushroom picking expert who is helping this project.

Li said that wild mushrooms are one of the important industries in Yunnan, and an increasing number of people are starting to experience wild mushrooms by collecting them in the wild. Different species of mushroom are often similar in color, shape, and odor, so it is easy for inexperienced nonprofessionals to confuse them. This can lead to cases of unintentional poisonous mushroom consumption.

"My job is to disseminate relevant knowledge about wild mushrooms, including how to find them in the wild, how to collect them after they are found, how to identify their edibility and toxicity, and introduce different types of wild mushrooms to tourists. This will allow travelers to further understand and recognize advancements in research related to large fungi, improve their science literacy, and promote the development of mushroom collection activities," Li added.

Li Shan, a 40-year-old woman and guide for the mushroom picking project, is responsible for path planning, team member safety, schedule management, and assisting experts with mushroom introductions.

According to Li, who has four years of tourism experience, mushroom picking provides a unique opportunity to get close to nature by applying knowledge into practice. The process of searching for mushrooms is full of surprises and rewards.

"Children do not pick randomly. They can recognize different mushrooms and apply the knowledge we taught them to searching. They also make friends and take care of each other, and share their experience with their parents. It's a good opportunity for their growth," she added.

Considering the wild mushroom growth cycle, the conditions of the terrain at the destination, and availability of professional guides, Xu limited the number of tourists. They are required to wear gloves when collecting mushrooms to avoid touching food after direct contact with them.

Additionally, they need to follow their guide to avoid getting lost in the forest. Trash should be packed and taken away with them, rather than left in the wild.

"Next year, we will upgrade the routes to make them more educational and funny, give tourists more destination options, and develop products suitable for different customer groups. We will expand to other cities and prefectures, and high-end routes will be developed for picking tricholoma matsutake," Xu added.