Über diese Reise
"I am Xiaojing, and our favorite place is the forest. Throughout the year, there are different treasures on the mountain: mushrooms in the rainy season, pinecones, pine nuts, and ferns in autumn and winter. Each season has its own flowers and plants. The girls in our picking group always go up the mountain, and no matter the season, we can find new things. Join our mountain adventure!"
Meeting time: 2:00 PM
Activity end time: 6:00 PM (dinner time at Jizhao Nunnery)
Hiking distance: 5 km total, ascent about 350 m.
Suitable age: 6-60 years old (good physical condition). Requires good stamina.
This is a quiet wild trail. Descending, it passes Jizhao Nunnery and Gantong Cableway (scenic area).
It is a necessary route for villagers to pick mushrooms, wild tea, and pine nuts.
Suitable for adults who are physically fit and want to pick mushrooms but don't want to get up early, or for children over 6 years old.
⚠️ The trail passes by a cemetery!
In compliance with Cangshan management policies for 2026, we do not pick mushrooms, mainly observe.
The forest yields different things as the seasons change.
For example: mushrooms, camellias, pine nuts, pinecones, various rhododendrons, Nepalese alder, winter cherries, etc. Even in winter, Cangshan's vegetation is rich. If you truly love nature, walking in the forest will not disappoint you.
June-October: mushrooms
November-February: pine nuts
March-May: rhododendrons
Pinecones are available all year round.
We gather at the foot of the mountain and hike up, searching for treasures along the way. Halfway, we have a tea break in a forest lush with moss and ferns.
From June to October, during mushroom season, there will be mushroom explanations.
Many years ago, after the mushroom season ended, Jason and I climbed the mountain and rested on a patch of soft moss where mushrooms once grew abundantly. Although there were no mushrooms, out of habit we scanned the ground and unexpectedly found small, firm pine nuts. They were plump and fresh, as if they had just fallen from a pinecone. We cracked one open, and its resin fragrance was strong, different from the usual creamy cooked pine nuts. I sat there, discovered more pine nuts, and didn't want to leave. Searching for pine nuts is a bit like mushroom picking—once you find the first one, the rest follow. Over time, you become sensitive to their shapes and colors, collecting them one by one—a relaxing experience.
Our team introduction:
Our mushroom picking group has six girls: Weicaojing, Yanzi, Xiaomin, Wanwan, Li Zhenhao, and Daxiang. Each has their own expertise, studies various mushroom books, and is widely involved in fieldwork in different forests.
Summarizing their characteristics: they possess both deep theoretical knowledge and rich field experience in forestry.
Some photos from previous pinecone collecting hikes:
Picnic in the forest (the guide brings tea, picnic mat, fruits, and snacks)
Searching for pine nuts
Vegetarian meal at Jizhao Nunnery
Photos
