Traditional ginseng picking in Changbai Mountain

Every year ginseng matures at the beginning of autumn, particularly in Wusong, a town located at the foot of Changbai Mountain.

Ginseng pickers recently started to enter the mountain as the harvest season approaches.

The history of ginseng picking can be traced back to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) when many people left their hometown, came to NE China and lived on the herb. Even today, there are many pickers entering the mountains to look for matured ginseng.

Cui Chang'an is a 62-year-old picker and the head of the local ginseng harvesting group. People say that with his rich experience he is always able to find more ginseng and other valuable Chinese herbs than other people.

Cui examines a ginseng to see whether or not it can be picked. [Photo/Xinhua]

The lush forest in Changbai Mountain was shaded from the sunlight as the ginseng pickers found their way through the bushes in the hot and humid weather.

Cui and other pickers hunted patiently for a long time and finally found a small plant with five leaves on its stem.

Cui examined the ginseng for a while and told the others that this one was too small to be picked.

A wild ginseng plant needs thirty to forty years to be matured and everyone must obey the old rule: pick the matured ginseng plants and leave the immature ones.

The rule guarantees the sustainability of ginseng production in the mountains.

Cui said "Many people think I'm good at hunting for ginseng. Actually, many plants I find are the young ones I left dozens of years ago."

"In addition to leaving the immature ginseng, I also sow the seeds from the matured ginseng in the hole to keep the valuable plant growing sustainably," Cui added.

Cui examines a ginseng to see whether or not it can be picked. [Photo/Xinhua]

Being a picker and an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of ginseng picking, Cui concerned about its future.

Many experienced pickers have quit and few younger people are interested in overcoming the difficulties of searching for ginseng in a severe environment, or in inheriting the traditions of picking it.

It is comforting that Cui's nephew Xiaobao would like to follow him and is now learning ginseng picking skills and rules from Cui.

Xiaobao said "We were born and grew up in the mountains. We live on resources here and it's our responsibility to protect them."