Purple crow butterflies are spending their winter in Maolin, the only overwintering butterfly valley in Asia
For flowers grown by volunteers, 300,000 butterflies are drawn to the site after a major typhoon
Every year, tens of thousands of purple crow butterflies come from the North to the valley area of Maolin District in Kaohsiung City to spend their winter. Hence, visitors to Maolin at this time of a year are often amazed by massive crowds of dancing butterflies – an ecological wonder. Michelin Green Guide Taiwan gave three stars to Maolin’s Purple Crow Butterfly Valley and lists it as a must-see. Encyclopedia Britannica also mentions that the Maolin Purple Crow Butterfly Valley is one of the only two overwintering butterfly valleys in the world – the other one is the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. Purple crow butterflies’ overwintering in Maolin is a one-and-only phenomenon in Asia. In fact, even Blue Tiger, a kind of butterfly from Japan, has also been found in Taiwan, spending their winter. Ecological conservationists and international media were highly interested in Blue Tiger’s appearance at the time, and such a phenomenon has been listed as a world heritage.
The Administration noted that, to attract more purple crow butterflies, nearly a hundred volunteers gathered at the valley to grow the butterflies’ favorite nectar plant, “Kusukusu Eupatorium.” 300,000 purple crow butterflies are expected to come to the valley when the plants grow flowers in November and December. From November 5, 2016 on, a series of butterfly activities will be held, and shuttle services will also be provided on weekends and holidays. Visitors are free to join a prize draw by making a guess of the dates of arrival and departure of the butterflies – prizes include an iPhone 7. Rukai Butterfly Protection Market, Butterfly Picnic Day, Tapakadrawana Harvest Festival, accessible butterfly-watching tours and a farewell closing ceremony will all be held. Various butterfly-watching combo tours can be joined through local agencies. For the first time ever, the Administration also works with THSR to offer 1-day and 2-day THSR butterfly-watching tours. Ecological weekend guided tours called “Marking Butterflies” will be organized by the Administration and the Maolin Purple Crow Butterfly Conservation Association of Kaohsiung. All members of the public are cordially invited to take part in such a wide range of events, appreciating precious purple crow butterflies while contributing to butterfly protection effort. For more info, please visit the Administration’s website at https://www.maolin-nsa.gov.tw.