120,000 Chinese people go to worship a giant mushroom

Nearly 120,000 people have travelled to a small town in southern China in the past few days to worship an enormous mushroom for good fortune. 

Keen visitors threw coins and notes to the extraordinary wild fungus, which is nearly one metre tall and 40cm (16 inches) wide.

The mushroom, which has been identified to be edible by experts, was discovered by an 81-year-old man while mushroom hunting in south-west China’s Yunnan Province. 

Pictures and videos emerged online as villagers asked for more information of the fungi

Villagers came to see the wild mushroom that grew to 2.7 feet tall in three days in LuoQiPing village, south-west China (left). Pictures and videos emerged online as villagers asked for more information of the fungi (right)

The elderly man, surnamed Liu, told Yunnan.cn that he saw the white-capped mushroom emerging from the ground on October 19 and was shocked to see how fast the mushroom had grown two days later.

He told his neighbours at the Luoqiping village in Tengchong City about the mushroom and they set up a fence around the fungi as protection.

The villagers then nicknamed the mushroom as ‘elephant foot’.

Pictures and videos emerged on Chinese social media as the villagers asked for the edibility and name of the mushroom.

Measuring 83.5 centimetres (2.7 ft) long, The long stem and huge fruiting body were reaching to a height of a two-year-old child.

The gills and the shape of the cap look like those of oyster mushrooms.

The gills and shape of the fruiting body were similar to oyster mushrooms, leaving villagers wondering of the type of fungi

The gills and shape of the fruiting body were similar to oyster mushrooms, leaving villagers wondering of the type of fungi

Over the past three days, there were about 100,000 people visiting the fungi and some threw money for luck and fortune

Over the past three days, there were about 100,000 people visiting the fungi and some threw money for luck and fortune

Yang Zhuliang, researcher at Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, told the reporter that the enormous fungi was Macrocybe gigantea, a non-toxic mushroom that can be commonly found in India and Pakistan.

Characterised by the large fruiting body and long stem,  the wild Macrocybe gigantea is safe to eat.

Xu Jianchu, an expert at the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, confirmed to MailOnline the mushroom belongs to the Calocybe fungi family and is edible.

According to China News, the mushroom has attracted an average of 30,000 visitors a day since it was discovered on October 19.

The local public transport authority had to put up a signage, reading ‘Luoqiping mushroom trip’, on the windows of their vehicles to give tourists a guidance to the village.

Expert confirmed the wild mushroom to be Macrocybe gigantea, an edible fungi that can be found in India and Pakistan

Expert confirmed the wild mushroom to be Macrocybe gigantea, an edible fungi that can be found in India and Pakistan

However, the fungi started to rot and villagers agreed to pull it out and passed it to authority to make as a preserved specimen

However, the fungi started to rot and villagers agreed to pull it out and passed it to authority to make as a preserved specimen

There were also people throwing coins and money notes at the wild mushroom in a bid to wish for good luck and fortune.

Yao MaoKe, a tourist told the reporter: ‘I went to see the giant mushroom few days ago. The place was packed, but there were people maintaining public order as well.’

However, the mushroom can be seen starting to rot a few days after it was found.

Tengyue local government confirmed to China News that the villagers agreed to pull out the fungi and donate to Tengchong Wild Plants and Animals Protection to make as preserved plant specimen.

The giant fungi was removed at midnight hours on October 25 by the villager and passed it to the authority.   

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