Every year from May to August, the bulk of the cordyceps harvest takes place. This year, as usual, tens of thousands of people from Litang County in the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province are setting up tents on high-altitude plateaus to begin their search for cordyceps.

A service team organized by the local government provides various services like medical care to the villagers. In recent years, the local government has also introduced policies to regulate the cordyceps harvest. Diggers need to obtain certificates before they began their work.