Qinghai Aweto is mainly produced on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in Qinghai Province. It is a very precious Chinese traditional medicinal plant, and also a unique life form of both animal- and plant-like conformation. As early as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it enjoyed world reputation and was exported to a number of neighboring countries like Japan and some Southeast Asian countries. It is renowned as China's legendary treasure. At present, aweto is still one main export commodity in Qinghai, and has great demand in the Southeast Asian, Japan, American and Hong Kong as well as Macao markets.

Aweto is composed of the larva and sporophore growing on the top of the head. The larva is 3-5 cm long, 0.3-0.8 cm thick with yellowish brown and coarse surface, has segments with several annular marks and 8 pairs of feet present at the abdomen with the middle 4 pairs more prominent, and is brittle in texture. The sporophore is slender-clavate, longer then the larva, deep brown, with longitudinal striae, and its top is elliptical, enlarged, with numerous protruding granular peritheciums, and soft and tough in texture. Aweto is sweet in taste, warm in nature, and attributive to lung and kidney channels.

Aweto helps invigorate the lung and the kidney and supplement essence, improve inspiration to relieve dyspnea, eliminate phlegm and stop bleeding. Besides, it can also be used as tonics for the aged and the diseased.