New type of matsutake hunters and traders

A live-streamer selling matsutake calls out to the Shangri-La matsutake market, Yunnan province, on July 24. GAO YONGWEI/XINHUA

At a little past 3 am when lights are gradually switched on in Tibetan homes in Jidi village, Shangri-La city, Yunnan province, some villagers pick up their baskets and sticks, as well as flashlights, pile them up on their motorcycles, and ride up the mountains about 3,000 meters above the sea level to pick matsutake, a highly prized mushroom.

Chunpi (middle) demonstrates how to harvest matsutake to tourists in Jidi village, Shangri-La city, on July 25. GAO YONGWEI/XINHUA

With the spread of mobile devices such as smartphones, more and more Tibetan villagers are using short videos and livestreaming to share online their matsutake-picking process, becoming new "matsutake hunters."

Born in 1990 in Jidi village, Chunpi, one of the "matsutake hunters", began foraging for matsutake in the mountains with his elders from the age of five.

After graduating from college in 2017, Chunpi chose to return to Shangri-La, and became one of the first youths in his village to promote the sales of matsutake through e-commerce.

In recent years, Chunpi has focused on improving the quality of the mushrooms while also building his own brand.

In 2024, because of his efforts, Jidi Village established a village-level matsutake market that integrates offline transactions, livestreaming e-commerce and cold storage.