Mushroom Picking Around Shaxi

The matsutake mushroom - 'pine mushroom' in English and 'songrong' in Chinese - is one of the most sought-after mushrooms in the world. Most of the world's supply, the Japanese being the largest consumers, comes from Shaxi's surrounding mountains. Between the months of July and October, go on mushroom hunts with local experts. The mushroom gatherers will take you deep into the hills and teach you how to discover and distinguish between a diverse species of native mushrooms.