(250730) -- SHANGRI-LA, July 30, 2025 (Xinhua) -- 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.

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)