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Tibet's Golden Worm

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Zaduo, the end of the road, On Mekong River, the staging town for expeditions headed further west to the sources of Asia'c greatest rivers, Mekong, Yellow and Yangtse. Reputed to have the best yartsa gompo in China, the nomad population (85%) makes it's living from herding sheep, yaks and collecting YG, providing 80% of yearly income in 2 month gathering season, May to end of June. 4300m. Pics of town, Mekong River and yartsa gompo market Mostly Hui muslim minority traders.
Local nomad market and yartsa gompo collecting on Heitushan Pass, 4450m. Morning rain has stopped, and families head up the mountains nearby the campsite. Only a small handful of yartsa gompo in this area
Serxul, center of Yartsa Gompo in Sichuan and reputably best in China. Word's highest town at 4150m? We go to the hunting fields at 4500m . Pics of temporary tent town set up for 2 months during the YG season from May to July. Tupten family, our hosts, wife Gatseng, girl Tsering Dolma 10, boy Gompo Dundze 6. Takes 1 hr to their collecting fields by motorcycle, all very regulated by gov. They work beside other family members, 20 in all from 10am to 6pm. Painful work on hands and knees crawling in search of tiny stem showing only half inch above ground. Then dug out using special tool. Good day, as Tupten family collects more than 60
Serxu yartsa gompo market
Local market selling Yartsa gompo, Mostly Tibetan nomad traders.
Local nomad market. Town is packed due to the snow. Since no one is out collecting yartsa gompo, everyone comes to town for shopping. And thanks to the high price, they all can afford motorcycles which have taken the place of the horse.
30yr old Zhongshi Caterpillar Fungus Firm, biggest in Chengdu w. 24branches in major cities across China. Pres Mr Zhong Shuangquan. Pics of Chengdu Chinese Herbal Medecine wholesale market. Most expensive YG is 360,000Y/kg for1200 worms. Worms from Nakchu area, TAR. Xray used to catch fakes or weighted w needles. They do sell other meds but 80% of income from YG. Also pics of downtown branch. Women shoppers spend 40,000Y.
Serxul, center of Yartsa Gompo in Sichuan and reputably best in China. Word's highest town at 4150m? We go to the hunting fields at 4500m . Pics of temporary tent town set up for 2 months during the YG season from May to July. Tupten family, our hosts, wife Gatseng, girl Tsering Dolma 10, boy Gompo Dundze 6. Takes 1 hr to their collecting fields by motorcycle, all very regulated by gov. They work beside other family members, 20 in all from 10am to 6pm. Painful work on hands and knees crawling in search of tiny stem showing only half inch above ground. Then dug out using special tool. Good day, as Tupten family collects more than 60
Yartsa gompo collecting with our nomad clan.
Nomad camp at Heitushan Pass, 4450m. Heavy snow today makes collecting yartsa gompo impossible. Everyone sleeps in except for the women who milk the yaks and make the tea as well as shovel snow.We spend time w Cai Long Xia(53), wife Na Mo Yong Zhuo(34), girls Gai La Zhuo Ma(8) and Yi Xi Duo Ma(10). 2nd family Renzhang a mo(30), Tudeng Yi Xi Bay(8), wifeGai La(29).
Xining, capitol city of Qinghai, largest yartsa gompo wholesale market in China. Qinfen Lane. Controlled by Hui minority, Pics of cleaning, grading, buying and selling.
The yartsa gompo market
Chinatow, traffic, traditional medicine shops.
Zaduo, the end of the road, On Mekong River, the staging town for expeditions headed further west to the sources of Asia'c greatest rivers, Mekong, Yellow and Yangtse. Reputed to have the best yartsa gompo in China, the nomad population (85%) makes it's living from herding sheep, yaks and collecting YG, providing 80% of yearly income in 2 month gathering season, May to end of June. 4300m. Pics of town, Mekong River and yartsa gompo market Mostly Hui muslim minority traders.
Serxul, center of Yartsa Gompo in Sichuan and reputably best in China. Word's highest town at 4150m? We go to the hunting fields at 4500m . Pics of temporary tent town set up for 2 months during the YG season from May to July. Tupten family, our hosts, wife Gatseng, girl Tsering Dolma 10, boy Gompo Dundze 6. Takes 1 hr to their collecting fields by motorcycle, all very regulated by gov. They work beside other family members, 20 in all from 10am to 6pm. Painful work on hands and knees crawling in search of tiny stem showing only half inch above ground. Then dug out using special tool. Good day, as Tupten family collects more than 60
Serxul, center of Yartsa Gompo in Sichuan and reputably best in China. Word's highest town at 4150m? We go to the hunting fields at 4500m . Pics of temporary tent town set up for 2 months during the YG season from May to July. Tupten family, our hosts, wife Gatseng, girl Tsering Dolma 10, boy Gompo Dundze 6. Takes 1 hr to their collecting fields by motorcycle, all very regulated by gov. They work beside other family members, 20 in all from 10am to 6pm. Painful work on hands and knees crawling in search of tiny stem showing only half inch above ground. Then dug out using special tool. Good day, as Tupten family collects more than 60
Serxul, center of Yartsa Gompo in Sichuan and reputably best in China. Word's highest town at 4150m? We go to the hunting fields at 4500m . Pics of temporary tent town set up for 2 months during the YG season from May to July. Tupten family, our hosts, wife Gatseng, girl Tsering Dolma 10, boy Gompo Dundze 6. Takes 1 hr to their collecting fields by motorcycle, all very regulated by gov. They work beside other family members, 20 in all from 10am to 6pm. Painful work on hands and knees crawling in search of tiny stem showing only half inch above ground. Then dug out using special tool. Good day, as Tupten family collects more than 60
Serxul, center of Yartsa Gompo in Sichuan and reputably best in China. Word's highest town at 4150m? We go to the hunting fields at 4500m . Pics of temporary tent town set up for 2 months during the YG season from May to July. Tupten family, our hosts, wife Gatseng, girl Tsering Dolma 10, boy Gompo Dundze 6. Takes 1 hr to their collecting fields by motorcycle, all very regulated by gov. They work beside other family members, 20 in all from 10am to 6pm. Painful work on hands and knees crawling in search of tiny stem showing only half inch above ground. Then dug out using special tool. Good day, as Tupten family collects more than 60
Xining, capitol city of Qinghai, largest yartsa gompo wholesale market in China. Qinfen Lane. Controlled by Hui minority, Pics of cleaning, grading, buying and selling.
Nomad camp at Heitushan Pass, 4450m. Heavy snow today makes collecting yartsa gompo impossible. Everyone sleeps in except for the women who milk the yaks and make the tea as well as shovel snow.We spend time w Cai Long Xia(53), wife Na Mo Yong Zhuo(34), girls Gai La Zhuo Ma(8) and Yi Xi Duo Ma(10). 2nd family Renzhang a mo(30), Tudeng Yi Xi Bay(8), wifeGai La(29).
Nomad camp at Heitushan Pass, 4450m. Heavy snow today makes collecting yartsa gompo impossible. Everyone sleeps in except for the women who milk the yaks and make the tea as well as shovel snow.We spend time w Cai Long Xia(53), wife Na Mo Yong Zhuo(34), girls Gai La Zhuo Ma(8) and Yi Xi Duo Ma(10). 2nd family Renzhang a mo(30), Tudeng Yi Xi Bay(8), wifeGai La(29).
Nomad camp at Heitushan Pass, 4450m. Heavy snow today makes collecting yartsa gompo impossible. Everyone sleeps in except for the women who milk the yaks and make the tea as well as shovel snow.We spend time w Cai Long Xia(53), wife Na Mo Yong Zhuo(34), girls Gai La Zhuo Ma(8) and Yi Xi Duo Ma(10). 2nd family Renzhang a mo(30), Tudeng Yi Xi Bay(8), wifeGai La(29).
Local market selling Yartsa gompo, Mostly Tibetan nomad traders.
A hundred years ago, Tibetan horses would have been tied up in front of these storefronts in Serxu, but today, the motorcycle is the nomad's preferred means of transport.
Local nomad market. Town is packed due to the snow. Since no one is out collecting yartsa gompo, everyone comes to town for shopping. And thanks to the high price, they all can afford motorcycles which have taken the place of the horse.
Local nomad market. Town is packed due to the snow. Since no one is out collecting yartsa gompo, everyone comes to town for shopping. And thanks to the high price, they all can afford motorcycles which have taken the place of the horse.
Yartsa gompo collecting with our nomad clan.
Jianna mani stone pile, 700 to 800yr. old, biggest in China.
Jianna mani stone pile, 700 to 800yr. old, biggest in China.
Jianna mani stone pile, 700 to 800yr. old, biggest in China.
Chamadao, Route 109, Namtso Lake, world's highest at 4718m.
The yartsa gompo market
Wholesale Yartsa Gompo Market open year round, largest in China. Mostly Hui minority muslim traders
© 2017 Michael Yamashita