Wild mushrooms covered with thick sand discovered in the Taklimakan Desert (CNS Photo)

Wild mushrooms were found under a few trees in the industrial area of the Middle Taklimakan, the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert on June 1.

“We thought they were only small projections of sandbags in the beginning yet after pushing lightly, we found that they were wild mushrooms. They were covered with thick sand, although we have not yet made sure what kind of the mushrooms they are, but their color is not bright and does not look strange. We guessed they should be editable,” said Sheng Zaixing, an employee in the industrial area. 

They have worked here for more than decade and this is the first time they found mushrooms here, several veteran employees said. 

Wild mushrooms covered with thick sand discovered in the Taklimakan Desert (CNS Photo)

Based on my years of experience, this is because of the better and better planting efforts in recent years, according to Wu Xiping, the vice director of the local weather station.

The survival rate of these desert plants has been growing, which not only plays the role of wind prevention and sand fixation, but also improves the local climate, said Wu. The moisture and temperature difference between day and night here is much better here than the areas without desert plants. Wu believes it is because this area was gradually cultivated into an environment suitable, that mushrooms can now grow here.

After 20 years of efforts, the artificial oasis area at the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert has greatly improved and the green landscape has now reached over 500 acres.