Chongqing - In the misty early winter of Hufeng Mountain Village in Zengjia Town, over 30,000 pounds of Morchella, a type of edible mushroom, are thriving, heralding new hopes for rural revitalization on this land.

Nestled in the mountains of Zengjia Town, Hufeng Mountain Village spans 4.7 square kilometers and consists of 11 community groups with a registered population of 2,292. Historically known for fruit cultivation and leisure tourism, the village boasts a 2,000-acre fruit base dominated by peach trees and the Hufeng Mountain Ecological Tourism Area, a national AAA-rated tourist spot.

A picture of wild mushrooms. (Photo/Lei Jian)

Hand-in-hand village cooperation model

With the rising interest in rural tourism among urban dwellers, Hufeng Mountain Village has become increasingly popular as a weekend and holiday destination, offering serene escapes and the unique experience of foraging wild mushrooms.

In a strategic move to advance rural revitalization, Zengjia Town has capitalized on this natural advantage, aligning with the public's growing interest in outdoor activities. 

At the beginning of this year, Zengjia Town facilitated a partnership between Fulai Village, which has a collective economy, and Hufeng Mountain Village, rich in ecological resources. Adopting the approach of "your village invests, our village contributes labor," the villages joined hands to introduce the technology of planting edible mushrooms under forest cover.

The seeds of Morchella. (Photo/Lei Jian)

"The first half of this year saw us planting about 10 acres of Termjte Mushroon in Hufeng Mountain Village," said a village representative. "From sowing to harvest, it took just three months to achieve a production value of over 200,000 yuan."

The successful pilot project has boosted confidence in exploring ecological resources for prosperity and demonstrated the potential of rural revitalization.

Stable local employment and continuous income growth

Hufeng Mountain Village, with its rich ecological resources and favorable natural environment, is an ideal location for an under-forest economy. Morchellas, preferring cool and shady conditions, thrive in the high-altitude, low-temperature forest environment of Hufeng Mountain, which is generally 2-3 degrees Celsius cooler than the city.

Leveraging these favorable conditions, Zengjia Town embarked on the Morchella cultivation project across approximately 230 acres of forest land in the village. 

Of this, 200 acres are collective forest land, where sporadic sowing along forest paths not only offers free picking for hikers but also boosts local eco-tourism and generates positive word-of-mouth. 

An additional 30 acres of land, reverted from farming to forest, are used for centralized cultivation. This approach, dividing the products into fresh and dried mushrooms, meets the demand for high-quality organic food.

A villager is sowing seeds of Morchella. (Photo/Lei Jian)

The town's initiative not only opens new avenues for wealth generation among residents but also showcases the broad prospects of rural revitalization. Morchella cultivation in the forest, relying on the natural environment and easy to manage, has already led to stable local employment and continuous income growth for about 40 villagers. 

With the deepening of the rural revitalization strategy, Zengjia Town hopes to introduce more industries in the future, allowing villagers to reap more benefits. The flexible working hours and daily wage settlements make villagers eager to participate.

The mochilas sown in Hufeng Mountain Village are expected to mature by early January next year. At this time, citizens can visit the Hufeng Mountain Ecological Tourism Area to pick and taste them firsthand.