Tibetan villagers hunt for fragrant matsutake

Villagers were seen getting up early in the morning to hunt for one of the most precious mushrooms in the world, the matsutake mushroom, also known as the pin mushroom, in Milin County, Nyingchi City, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, as it was the best season to collect matsutake. 　

Local villagers live at an average elevation of 3,500 meters. Their income comes mainly from animal husbandry, collecting cordyceps, and selling matsutake mushrooms they pick in nearby forests. 　 Popular but rare, matsutake mushrooms only grow in old forests where there is plenty of clean air and minimal pollution.