Fungi, 'little heroes' of poverty relief

Expert's decades of research into mushrooms have helped rural counties tap into agricultural wealth

Editor's Note: During this year's two sessions－the annual meetings of the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference－China Daily will publish a series of stories focusing on the achievements the country made in various fields during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20). They show how the country met its development goals in different fields in the face of numerous challenges.

An intriguing fact about China's historic victory over extreme poverty is part of its foundations were built on edible fungi and decades of innovative research.

Revitalizing rural China, promoting green development and pushing the envelope of research to better serve the nation's strategic needs are themes highlighted during this year's two sessions and in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25).