Where to go in the sweltering summer? Follow the butterflies on a journey

▲ Registration for the 2013 “Butterfly Light Travel” is now open. (Photo / New Homeland Cultural and Educational Foundation)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The cool stream water of summer provides relief from the heat, the forest’s phytoncides help you unwind, and looking up at the sky, you’ll see colorful little butterflies fluttering about — a double feast for the eyes and soul that offers complete relaxation. Co-organized by the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration and the New Homeland Cultural and Educational Foundation, the “Butterfly Light Travel” event will use nature as a classroom and butterflies as guides to lead visitors on an exciting summer butterfly adventure.

Besides being famous for its Shaoxing wine, Puli in Nantou is also known as the “Butterfly Town.” The Puli area is home to 220 species of butterflies, accounting for more than half of Taiwan’s total. However, due to improper development, overhunting, and habitat destruction, butterfly populations have drastically declined. In recent years, as ecological conservation has gained attention, “Butterfly Town” aims to rebuild through preservation and restoration, seeking a new model that integrates ecology, lifestyle, and production, in hopes of reviving its former glory as the “Butterfly Kingdom of Puli.” This “Butterfly Light Travel” event is designed to give everyone a fresh perspective on the transformed “Butterfly Town.”

To enable greater interaction between visitors and butterflies, the activities in the “Butterfly Light Travel” program combine intellectual enrichment with rustic fun. In addition to butterfly watching, visitors can experience peeling lotus pods by hand and then turn the seeds into small snacks. For the more adventurous, there’s the chance to explore the valley streams through canyoning and enjoy delicious lotus leaf rice by the cool mountain breezes along the stream. Additionally, you can follow the flight paths of butterflies to another hidden paradise — the Cangji Pavilion Eco-Village — where you can plant nectar plants and host herbs to create habitats for butterfly larvae. Finally, you can even design your own colorful butterfly collage.

Registration for the “Butterfly Light Travel” event is now open. It will be held in two sessions on July 27 (Saturday) and August 9 (Friday), with 40 participants per session. The cost is just NT$150 per person, which includes a special lotus leaf meal, DIY activities, butterfly guided tours, and insurance. The event is perfect for families and offers everyone a chance to experience the charm of Taiwan’s Butterfly Kingdom.