High adventure on the plateau

Caterpillar fungus market

Caterpillar fungus is so venerated as a traditional cure-all that Jeykundo hosts an entire market devoted entirely to the parasite that's endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Himalayas.

The organism infests ghost moth caterpillars buried in the grasslands above 3,500 meters. It digests the larva from within, mummifying the insect's body, until it sprouts from its head like a unicorn horn.

Its purported medicinal applications, which range from impotence to cancer, plus its rareness mean a kilogram sells for anywhere from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands of yuan. It's often brewed in tea or steeped in alcohol, especially antelope-blood liquor.