In a small plantation on the northern rims of the Himalayas in Xizang autonomous region, visitors can witness nearly every stage of cultivating lingzhi mushrooms, a medicinal fungus traditionally harvested from the wild.

In a row of dim, humid bungalows, lingzhi spores are carefully grown into seedlings, waiting to be planted in nearby greenhouses. Close by, freshly harvested lingzhi mushrooms are neatly arranged on shelves to be dried for market.

Those are the sights at the Red Sun Family Farm in Manling, Xizang's Nyingchi city, where efforts to grow medicinal herbs and fungi are boosting local income.

Cheng Pan, a local Party official, said the farm has become a cornerstone of the local agricultural landscape.

The farm, which yielded 15 metric tons of dried lingzhi last year, is supplying seedlings and technical support to about 400 lingzhi-growing families in Manling to increase output.

"The growth is exponential," he said, emphasizing that lingzhi cultivated in Manling, a local species, boasts superior quality compared to counterparts grown in lower-altitude regions, making them highly sought after in the market.

The fungi are believed to enhance the immune system's function, helping the body fight off infections and illnesses and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.

Lingzhi mushrooms are being mass-produced in greenhouses as part of a growing medicinal farming industry in Manling. Just a few kilometers away from the farm, the local government has collaborated with pharmaceutical companies from wealthier regions to cultivate Chuanbeimu or Fritillaria bulbs, traditionally used for cough relief.

In a nearby pine forest, workers are excavating pits to sow seedlings of Huangjing, a herb known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immune-modulating properties, mimicking a natural wild environment.

Cheng said mass-producing such herbs can relieve pressure on environment.

"Based on our current estimates, if we want to meet the high demand by having people dig wild Chuanbeimu in the mountains, it is highly probable that within just two to three years, this species will be driven to extinction," he said.

Red Sun Family Farm is owned by Nima, a once impoverished farmer who has not only transformed his own life but also uplifted many within his ethnic Tibetan community.

His journey to prosperity began 14 years ago with the cultivation of lingzhi.

Before that, there had been twists and turns in his business endeavor. In 2007, Nima and his family of four were living in a modest 23-square-meter prefabricated home, struggling to make ends meet.

Seeking a change, he ventured into agricultural entrepreneurship. In 2008, Nima took a loan of 150,000 yuan ($21,000) to establish a pig and chicken farm in his village. However, his business suffered due to lack of breeding techniques and an unfavorable market.

In 2010, authorities introduced policies aimed at developing Manling into a hub for medicinal herbs.

Sensing the business potential, Nima shifted gears and founded a medicinal farm focusing on raising a herb named tianma or gastrodia elata. The decision was proved a big success, as he started gaining profit in the very first year.

Aided by the local government, Nima in 2012 renamed the company Red Sun Family Farm and expanded the range of medicinal plants including a local species of lingzhi, and the business took off due to its prime quality.

With a better financial standing, he thought about helping others. In 2016, at the height of China's fight against absolute poverty, he gave lingzhi seedlings to impoverished farmers to grow and offered to buy the harvests.

In 2021, Nima was honored with a national award at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing for his contribution to poverty alleviation.

"We have established sales network on the popular messaging app WeChat so that our herbs and fungi can be sold further away," he added.