A young man discovers a large Thai Tuế lingzhi mushroom, valued at nearly one billion USD.
Discovery of Thai Tuế Lingzhi Mushroom Worth Nearly 1 Billion USD
According to Ifeng, over 10 days ago, Mr. Dư stumbled upon an object resembling a tree root while collecting scrap materials in Changchun City. However, this object had a hard outer shell with soft flesh, not resembling wood, and weighed nearly 25 kg.
“I was very curious at that time and immediately dug it up to bring home. After cleaning it thoroughly, my neighbors came to see it and suggested that it could very well be Thai Tuế lingzhi,” Mr. Dư shared. He displayed it in a water tank at home.
The rare mushroom soaking in Mr. Dư’s glass tank. (Photo: Ifeng).
The object has a diameter of approximately 30 cm and a height of 40 cm, resembling an old tree stump, with many patterns on its surface. The flesh of the mushroom is elastic, and its structure is similar to that of fungi. Despite soaking in water for days, the mushroom did not decay.
Mr. Dư and his wife researched online and found a collector of Thai Tuế lingzhi in Beijing and made a phone call. The next day, this collector traveled nearly 1,000 km from Beijing to Changchun to confirm that this was indeed Thai Tuế lingzhi, also known as meat lingzhi, and offered to purchase it for nearly 8,000 USD, but the couple declined.
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“I hope to have experts assist in verifying whether this is truly Thai Tuế lingzhi. If it is authentic, I would like to know how to preserve or utilize it,” Mr. Dư stated.
According to Sohu, back in May, the Natural Lingzhi Museum in Wuhan, Hubei Province also exhibited a “thousand-year-old Thai Tuế lingzhi.” This lingzhi was placed in a large glass tank, soaking in mineral water. Museum staff shared that this mushroom was discovered by a farmer in Shanxi seven years ago, buried 7 meters underground.
Natural lingzhi experts were brought in to verify and concluded that it was indeed thousand-year-old lingzhi. After several transactions, it was eventually donated to the museum by a charitable organization. Museum staff noted that the market price of Thai Tuế lingzhi internationally is 39,000 USD per gram. Therefore, if the lingzhi that Mr. Dư discovered is genuine, its estimated value could be as high as 975 million USD.
The lingzhi mushroom in the museum in Wuhan. (Photo: Sohu).
Thai Tuế lingzhi has long been recognized in traditional Chinese medicine literature. According to experts from Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, this species of lingzhi contains polysaccharides, proteins, fats, various amino acids, and other rich nutrients that help improve the body’s circulatory system, regulate estrogen hormones, and stimulate immune cell production. Additionally, this type of lingzhi is particularly rich in PPQ, a substance capable of regulating immunity, preventing liver diseases, and protecting against free radical-induced cellular damage, notably having strong cancer-fighting properties.
