What’s the hottest social activity this spring? For many young people in China, it’s going foraging with friends.
Going foraging is like a treasure hunt. It is a simple activity with a lot of fun! It does not need expensive tools. With just a pair of scissors, a basket and some bags, you can have fun in nature. You look around in places like forest and lakes to find different kinds of plants that you can eat.
Going foraging is a new way for young people to connect with nature. They can spend many relaxing hours walking around in the wild. “Being in nature takes my stress away and I feel full of energy again,” said Lin Shan, a student from Beijing. To avoid eating “dangerous” plants, they have to do some research on different kinds of plants before foraging. This way, they know more about plants.
Young people also get connected with others by foraging. On the online lifestyle sharing platform, the topic “digging wild vegetables” has over 200 million views. Over 890,000 users share their own “wild vegetable maps” with others. Young people from Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou even team up for group adventures.
What’s more, working hard to get plants makes them feel happy and sweet. They can also have fresh and healthy food for dinner at home!
“Going foraging for wild vegetables may be dangerous,” said Shi Jun, a plant biology expert in China. “But for many, the real value of this activity is the joy it brings and the deep connection with nature.”