[InKunming--Yunnan] There are eighteen wired things in Yunnan. For example, “Three mosquitoes can be a dish. Grasshopper is delicious to go with wine.” As Yunnan is surrounded by mountains, many places including Lijiang maintain the custom of eating insects. Edible fried worms become a delicious dish for Yunnanese.

Tourists from all over the country gathered around a giant 50 square meter dining table to taste a ton of insects in Yunnan’s Lijiang on January 24. The banquet featured dozens of insects such as locusts, bamboo insects, water dragonflies, grasshoppers, silkworm chrysalis, centipedes and bee chrysalis. Many of the visitors took the chance to eat the insects for the first time in their lives. Some of them even had high praise for the unique taste, while others were shocked by the scene.

“I felt inconceivable previously, but I tried today. The taste was really good!” Mr. Chen from Lanzhou held fried water dragonflies in his hands and encouraged his friends to have a taste. He said he was too afraid to eat all the dozens of insects on the table though the taste was good.

“How can everyone eat the insect? I felt sick at my stomach. The centipedes had too many feet, and the worm was plump. I couldn’t eat them.” Mr. Wang, from Changchun, chose to stand aside and watched others.

During the Spring Festival (from the first day of lunar new year to the fifteenth), people who are fond of excitement and challenge can come to Lijiang which will provide 1,000 bug bags for free every day.

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(Editors: Christine, Rachel)