Medicinal lingzhi mushroom products and ornamental lingzhi bonsai cultivated in Guanxian county, Liaocheng. [Photo/WeChat account: lcwhhlyj]

Located in Liaocheng, Shandong, Guanxian county is China's undisputed king of lingzhi mushrooms, a prized medicinal fungus. With over 50 percent of the nation's lingzhi output and 60 percent of its trading volume, Guanxian is the country's largest lingzhi cultivation and trading region.

The history of lingzhi mushroom cultivation in Guanxian stretches back nearly four decades. Today, a panorama of lingzhi greenhouses paints the landscape, a testament to the industry's enduring legacy. Over 10,000 greenhouses dot the county, producing lingzhi that finds its way to over 20 countries and regions, including South Korea and Singapore. The industry boasts over 100 trading companies and cooperatives, employing a workforce of over 50,000 people.

Technology has been the cornerstone of the local lingzhi industry's growth. In 2023, the Guanxian County Lingzhi Technology Demonstration Park was put into operation, equipped with 120 greenhouses, initial product processing workshops, and an inspection and testing center. The park focuses on standardized lingzhi cultivation and primary product processing.

Harnessing the power of big data and the Internet of Things, the park is able to effectively manage the lingzhi growth environment, processing environment, and personnel operations. The park is the nation's largest standardized lingzhi cultivation base and the only large-scale off-season lingzhi cultivation zone, enabling year-round lingzhi mushrooms production.

Guanxian has also collaborated with the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Liaocheng Academy of Agricultural Sciences to introduce high-yield and high-quality strains as well as conduct data analysis, geographical certification, and purification and solidification of local superior varieties.

In recent years, the lingzhi mushroom industry has driven an increasing number of local enterprises to embrace e-commerce. At least three local lingzhi production enterprises have partnered with provincial and extra-provincial e-commerce platforms, fostering cross-border e-commerce development, with an annual export volume of 20 million yuan ($2.77 million).