Morel mushrooms harvested from a workshop in Jiande. [Photo/WeChat account: hznync]

Focusing on specialty agriculture, Hangzhou has been driving rural industrial upgrades and boosting farmers' incomes, local media outlets reported.

Inside the Shanxun mushroom greenhouses in Jiande, a county-level city administered by Hangzhou, workers carefully pick freshly matured morel mushrooms. These delicate fungi are prized for their rich flavor and are a seasonal delicacy enjoyed in soups, stir-fries, and meat dishes.

Xiang Zhibin, the workshop's founder, has been cultivating morels since 2018. After learning advanced techniques in Southwest China's Yunnan province, he started with just 0.5 acres and gradually expanded. In 2024, taking advantage of high-standard farmland upgrades, he launched a 26-acre standardized morel cultivation project. By introducing expertise from Guangyuan, Southwest China's Sichuan province, the project has reduced costs per-acre while improving product quality and market competitiveness.

With fresh morels now hitting the market at 256 yuan ($35) per kilogram, Xiang estimates a total yield of around 49.5 kg per acre, generating nearly 5 million yuan in revenue. The peak harvest will run from late February to April.

Beyond mushrooms, another spring favorite – fresh bamboo shoots from the foothills of Tianmu Mountain in Lin'an district – has also captured local appetites. Lin'an has pioneered high-efficiency cultivation for premium "fruity" bamboo shoots, known for their natural sweetness. Through scientific management and improved fertilization, the shoots have gained popularity for their exceptional taste and quality.

Fresh bamboo shoots harvested from Tianmu Mountain in Lin'an. [Photo/WeChat account: linanfabu]