Lingzhi mushrooms cultivated in Jucun village, Qujiang district, Quzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Quzhou Daily]

A company in Quzhou, Zhejiang province, has expanded wild-simulated lingzhi mushroom cultivation in mountain forests while developing higher-value products from the medicinal fungus.

Lingzhi, Ganoderma lucidum, a medicinal mushroom valued for its bioactive compounds and health-promoting properties, has been historically used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Lingzhi mushrooms grown across forest slopes in Jucun village, Qujiang district, have recently supported new orders worth more than 10 million yuan ($1.48 million), according to Liao Jiandong, head of Quzhou Dongnan Queli Ecological Agriculture Development Co.

Founded in 2021, the company specializes in wild-simulated cultivation and deep processing of Chinese medicinal herbs. It has expanded its cultivation area from a 3.3-hectare trial plot in 2024 to 18.6 hectares this year.

To improve efficiency on mountainous terrain, the company uses drones to transport cultivation materials. It has also adopted an ecological farming model by interplanting other medicinal herbs, including huangjing (Polygonatum sibiricum) and sanyeqing (Tetrastigma hemsleyanum).

The company has extended its industrial chain through cooperation with universities, developing functional food products such as lingzhi-based tablet candies and other products including pet lingzhi biscuits and lingzhi-based tangerine peel drinks.

Qujiang now has nearly 667 hectares of forest-based Chinese medicinal herb cultivation, with the lingzhi mushroom industry involving 28 farming households.