KUNMING, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Before dawn, villagers of Jidi set out with baskets and walking sticks, their torchlight slicing through the darkness as they ascended mist-shrouded mountains rising over 3,000 meters in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

They are the traditional "matsutake hunters," guardians of secret forest patches teeming with the prized fungi. Yet alongside this age-old ritual, a digital transformation is quietly unfolding.

By 9 a.m., the scene had shifted dramatically. In a bustling warehouse at the Shangri-La matsutake trading market, 22-year-old Wu Xia, dressed in vibrant Tibetan attire, promoted the mushrooms online through her smartphone. Fresh matsutake, still dusted with earth, filled the screen, while young packers and sorters moved swiftly behind her.

"What you see is what you buy. Shipped immediately," Wu said to her livestream audience. Her livestreaming stretched deep into the night, drawing over 110,000 viewers and generating nearly 120,000 yuan (about 16,825.3 U.S. dollars) in sales.

The embrace of technology is transforming life in Yunnan's Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, home to some of the world's richest matsutake forests. Once dependent on distant city markets or low-paying middlemen, villagers are now harnessing the power of the digital world.

Leading this change is Chunpai, a local known as "Village Chief Losang." When he returned to his hometown in 2019, the young Tibetan saw foraging practices threatening the region's precious matsutake fields.

He introduced a conservation model in which villagers partner with companies and research institutes, retaining ownership while pledging to protect young mushrooms and rotate harvesting areas. In return, enterprises purchase their premium matsutake at above-market prices.

"At first, villagers resisted," Chunpai recalled. "We had to go door to door to explain the long-term benefits." The results soon became clear, as natural matsutake growth rose by 20 percent, and household incomes from foraging increased by an average of 20,000 yuan annually.

By 2 p.m., Jidi's trading market was buzzing. Elders in traditional dress efficiently sold their day's harvest, with transactions completed in minutes thanks to online price checks. Cold-chain trucks stood ready, ensuring that mushrooms reach 264 Chinese cities within 24 hours and overseas destinations such as Tokyo and Seoul in 36 hours.

Chunpai's vision goes beyond sales. He trains villagers in online marketing, with more than a dozen now earning income by livestreaming their hunts. A new "matsutake camp" offers immersive foraging, camping and culinary experiences, while traditional homes welcome tourists as guesthouses.

According to Zhao Yuezhen, a visitor from Shanghai, the hands-on hunt is both rewarding and eye-opening. "Connecting deeply with nature is healing. It makes you appreciate how hard this is."

"The old hunters told tales of finding mushrooms," Chunpai said. "We, the new generation, are weaving the story of an entire industry. The path for rural revitalization only widens when the young walk it." ■