Mohe borders the Heilongjiang River and the Greater Khingan Range, so its local specialties mainly consist of mountain products and aquatic goods.
- Mountain products include hazelnuts, wood ear mushrooms, wild mushrooms, dried nuts, medicinal herbs, plus various wild mountain vegetables and wild fruits.
- Aquatic goods exclusively refer to rare cold-water fish native to Mohe.
Restricted by local climate and transportation conditions, few specialties are easy to carry away. Only wood ear mushrooms, wild mushrooms and some Chinese herbal medicines are portable. Other items such as cold-water fish, wild game and wild fruits can only be tasted locally.
There are no formal shopping malls in Arctic Village of Mohe. Most goods sold here are wild harvests picked from mountains by local villagers, which tourists may buy at will according to personal preferences. However, for goods like ganoderma lucidum and ginseng, tourists are advised to purchase them from official pharmacies in downtown Mohe County for safety.
Specialties of Mohe
Hazelnuts
The Greater Khingan Range in Mohe is China’s major hazelnut producing area. Hazelnuts resemble chestnuts with hard shells and high oil content, featuring a rich, lingering nutty flavor.
Known as the "King of Nuts", hazelnuts rank alongside almonds, walnuts and cashews as the Four Great Nuts.
Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi Mushroom)
Since ancient times, reishi has been regarded as a symbol of auspiciousness, wealth, beauty and longevity, hailed as the "Immortal Herb" and "Auspicious Grass". It has long been treasured in traditional Chinese medicine as a potent tonic to strengthen vitality and consolidate physical resistance. Folk legends claim reishi can revive the dying and grant immortality.
Maojian Mushrooms
Maojian mushrooms boast an exquisite, unparalleled flavor. Due to their extremely low yield, they were once presented as imperial tributes to the royal court. Their contents of amino acids, protein and trace elements are several to dozens of times higher than ordinary mushrooms.
Wild Blueberries
A unique wild fruit grows on the mountains of the Greater Khingan Range: wild blueberries, also locally called dushi. Sweet and sour with a natural vivid hue, they deliver a lovely, heartwarming taste reminiscent of first love.
Wild Black Wood Ear Mushrooms
Black wood ear is a nutrient-rich edible fungus with numerous alternative names. It grows on rotting timber and resembles a human ear, hence its name wood ear. Its shape also evokes a poised butterfly, earning it the moniker wood moth. Its tender meat tastes as delicious as chicken, so it is also known as tree chicken. Layered wood ears clinging to tree trunks look like floating clouds, giving rise to another name cloud ear.
Cowberries (Yagedaguo)
Fragrant Dahurian rhododendrons bloom amid glistening ice. Beneath thick snowdrifts lie green cowberry bushes dotted with tiny scarlet berries. The striking red-and-green contrast against white snow embodies nature’s resilient vitality.
Air-Dried Sausages
Northern China boasts dozens of varieties of meat sausages, among which Mohe’s air-dried sausages are prized top-grade delicacies with a history of over 70 years.
Made from fresh lean meat seasoned with amomum villosum, cinnamon, cardamom and other spices, the sausages carry a subtle herbal aroma. Chewy with a lasting aftertaste, they pair perfectly with Northeast Erguotou liquor for a distinctive dining experience.
Vacuum-packed versions are now available for easy transport. Loose sausages generally cost around 10 yuan per jin (500 grams).
China Arctic Wild Blueberries
Also known as dushi, Arctic wild blueberries grow in the primeval Greater Khingan forests north of 52°N latitude with frigid temperatures. Far from human settlements and free from industrial pollution, they are pure natural green food abundant in nutrients. They help improve eyesight, relieve fatigue, slow brain aging and inhibit cancer cell growth.
Top Shopping Spots in Mohe
MinGu Commercial Street
Mohe County is compact with only one major commercial street — MinGu Commercial Street, reconstructed after the massive forest fire. Visitors can buy all kinds of local specialties and daily necessities here.
Mohe County Market is also located on this street, selling seasonal fruits, vegetables and a small supply of fresh cold-water fish.
Tourists can take a casual stroll here, though it is not bustling and merely meets basic shopping demands.
Address: Beside Heilongjiang Avenue, Mohe County, within walking distance.
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