Gutien Edible Fungi Musuem

 I associate fragrances and aromas with past thoughts. Dried mushrooms would always remind me of my mother's kitchen and my grandmother's visits in Sibu.

And dried mushrooms also conjure lots of mental pictures of my own confinements ( 4 babies). So when I visited a huge CAVE of dried mushrooms of all varieties in Kutien I was totally overwhelmed and indeed dumbfounded. You seem to be just a tiny little TOT or DOT in a cathedral where transparent plastic bags filled with pressed dried mushrooms and edible fungi were standing in attention.

I think it is hard for many to believe that Kutien is the world's great dried mushroom producer. But it is amazingly true that almost every household in Kutien produces mushrooms in their small factory in the backyard. The little factories are simply built of twigs and leaves with more dried leaves and twigs for the roof. Inside you may wonder what kind of state of the art scientific technology they use. But be assured these Kutien people have been well educated by the best of mushroom scientists in the world. And all these little households help make Kutien the biggest amazing mushrooms producer in the world!!

There is a huge dry market for the mushrooms from the farmers. They come in huge plastic bags some of which may stand taller than a Sibu man. And above this market is the largest edible fungi museum in the world.

Many of the labourers still use very traditional carts.

This is the mushroom market and warehouse. wholesalers get together here.

The World famous Gutian edible fungus museum of China.

Part of the display.


Books written about mushroom and fungi dated as early as 500BC

Mushrooms already packed for export.