Cordyceps Sinensis, viagra of the Himalayas, Yarsagumba, caterpillar fungus. All of these names belong to the strange claw like bundles which I spied recently in the back streets of Lijiang old town. Said to be a potent health tonic and an aphrodisiac, its value (twice its own weight in gold) has provoked adulteration, counterfeiting, violent land disputes and now market speculation giving rise to excited reports in both the food pages and the investment pages of some of the world's leading periodicals. (Wall Street Journal: Forget Stocks - Chinese Turn Bullish on Booze and Caterpillar Fungus and the Huffington Post: Caterpillar Fungus Transforms Tibet With Huge Cash Influx). Some of China's biggest banks have started funds to invest in it, it is traded on exchanges around the country as a new asset class and has become an extraordinary tonic for the Tibetan economy, now making up 8% of their GDP. No wonder my elderly hawker friend was happy to have that little bundle back after our little photo session. | Click here for more photos of Lijiang Revisited |