Mysterious 'creature' found in Harbin  

哈尔滨一村民发现疑似“太岁” 重约10公斤(图)

(ECNS) -- A villager in Harbin claims to have found a "taisui," a mysterious creature recorded in ancient Chinese books.

The man named Li found the "creature" behind his house in Sanjia, a village in Pingfang district of Harbin. He says he found the "meat-like thing" laying partly concealed under his house.

"Covered with white membrane, it weighs 10 kilograms," Li said, adding that it "feels oily, but has no abnormal odor."

Li cut off a small piece of it and steeped it in a cup of water, in which it dissolved. The water was tasteless, he said.

A friend of Li's told him the substance is similar to a "taisui," a kind of myxomycete complex, or slime mold.

"Taisu," which is also the name of flesh-meat ganoderma, is a substance with medical functions, according to the Pen-tsao Kang-mu, a Chinese materia medica work written by Li Shizhen, one of the greatest Chinese doctors during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Besides Pen-tsao Kang-mu, several other ancient books also record "taisui" as a rare medicinal ingredient known for its life prolonging function.

Li said he hopes experts will help him determine whether the mysterious substance is the so-called "taisui" or not.