The wild fungus is the gift of nature brought by the rainy season. It is the favorite delicacy to folks of Yunnan every summer. Nowadays, it has been sold to the world through digital channels.

Since June, online sales orders for wild fungus have soared. You just need to wait 2 to 5 days after placing your order at Tmall and then you could enjoy the delicious wild fungus.

Online development of the wild fungi market

Starting in June, Yunnan wild fungi go on the market. And a large number of wild funguses are sold every day through the Internet from Kunming Mushuihua Market, the country's largest wild fungus trading market.

Huang Xie is a wild-fungus dealer who used to study in the US. She gave up the good life abroad and came back to Kunming in 2016. Then, she took over the family’s business at the Mushuihua market.

“In 2005, folks were riding a bike to the market for wild fungi. Today, Yunnan wild mushrooms are sold at online market places such as Tmall and Hema,” said Huang. In recent years, domestic sales are growing fast, reflecting the rapid increase of fungus consumption in China.

E-commerce sales of wild mushrooms in Yunnan

E-commerce allows Yunnan wild fungi to be known to more consumers.

While exporting, Huang Xie founded the "Black Label Chef" brand in 2016 and started the wholesale business of wild fungi on Alibaba.

In July last year, Huang opened a new online store on Tmall, from where wild funguses from Yunnan are sold nationwide. 

Meanwhile, Huang also cooperates with the Hema network to sell wild fungi in three stores in Kunming. Next, Hema is expected to increase the sales of wild fungi in other Chinese provinces.

Up to now, thousands of Tmall shops are selling Yunnan wild mushrooms.

Digital tools make it easier to buy wild fungi

Now, wild fungus dealers are selling Yunnan wild fungi to the world through the e-commerce platforms and new retailing ways. And the sales model of the merchants in the Mushuihua market also shifted from traditional to digital.

Many merchants tried live streaming to introduce the variety, price and quality of each wild fungus here. "We broadcast live on Taobao every day to sell Yunnan wild fungi. The fungi can reach the consumer next day once the order is put," said a merchant.

In Kunming, folks could also try to order the wild fungi on the Eleme app.

At the same time, some of the wild fungus vendors adopted new ways for payment, using the Huabei installment and Alipay vouchers to boost business.

Reporting by Zhu Wanqi (Spring City Evening News); trans-editing by Wang Shixue and Yuan Yingcen