Firefly Viewing / No.1 Firefly Spot in Northern Taiwan — Hsinchu’s Neiwan Has Protected Fireflies for 11 Years

Reporter Zhu T?Man?ū North? (Note: Name appears garbled; retained as-is per Rule 5)

Do you still remember that familiar Taiwanese children’s song from childhood, “Firefly, come have some tea, the tea is hot, eat some bananas…”? The fireflies, also known as fireflies (火金姑), with their flickering tiny lights, have gradually disappeared — due to environmental changes on one hand, and improper firefly-viewing behavior by tourists on the other. To promote correct firefly viewing among the public, the Syinlin Cultural and Educational Foundation held a vote for Taiwan’s top ten firefly viewing spots. In the north, Hsinchu County’s Neiwan emerged victorious, boasting a rich variety of firefly species and a peak season from April to July.

Among Taiwan’s top ten firefly viewing spots, three are located in the north: New Taipei City’s Wulai Ecological Farm, Miaoli’s Shengxing Railway Station, and Hsinchu’s Neiwan area. Notably, Neiwan also ranked fourth in the national firefly viewing spot list. Hsinchu’s Hengshan Township’s Neiwan Village, famous for its old street, is also a popular destination for firefly enthusiasts. Zhang Guoxian from the Tourism Marketing Division of Hsinchu County’s Transportation and Tourism Office said that proposals, events, and execution initiated at the local level, supplemented by central government subsidies, not only saved costs but also strengthened community cohesion and achieved remarkable results in tourism marketing.

% Even if you don’t take the train, you can drive to the valley to enjoy both the fireflies and the tung blossoms (Photo / Provided by Zhu Chenyuan)

Zhu Chenyuan, Chairman of the Neiwan Village Community Development Association in Hengshan Township, Hsinchu County, said: “We have been promoting firefly viewing in Neiwan for over 11 years, and we’ve reached a great level of understanding and consensus with the residents. At the entrance of the Dongwo Creek Firefly Eco-Area, there is traffic control, and staff provide basic education to visitors, all with the hope of maintaining a good environment so that fireflies can thrive continuously. Especially this year, the firefly viewing event is combined with the tung blossom season, making it even larger in scale, with nearly 80 shops in the Neiwan business district offering promotional activities.”

Zhu Chenyuan also said that he was truly happy to see Neiwan ranked fourth among Taiwan’s firefly viewing spots this year, but what moved him most was that this achievement was built together by the local community and the public. Although the Dongwo Creek Firefly Eco-Area is free of charge, tremendous effort has gone into managing visitor flow and ecological preservation. Not only is there visitor flow control from 5pm to 9pm during the firefly season, but visitors are also given free red cellophane at the entrance to cover their flashlights, so as not to startle the fireflies. There are also staff at the entrance providing basic education and firefly ecology training. In terms of environmental maintenance, they insist on not spraying pesticides, not mowing the grass after the New Year until the end of the firefly season. “Because fireflies are a public asset, everyone needs to help protect them. It’s truly touching when everyone works together with one heart.”

% This year, the area has especially prepared for visitors coming to enjoy the tung blossoms and fireflies (Photo / Provided by Zhu Chenyuan)

Neiwan is home to a rich variety of fireflies, such as the black-winged firefly, red-chested black-winged firefly, Taiwanese mountain window firefly, large-end black firefly, yellow-margin firefly, and red-bellied sawtooth firefly, all of which you may have the chance to see up close. In addition to the Dongwo Creek Firefly Eco-Area, Zhu Chenyuan said that this year they also promoted spots like Nanping Ancient Trail and Dashanbei, combining history and nature to offer visitors a more diverse firefly viewing experience. He also suggests that visitors have a meal in Neiwan Old Street, head up the mountain before dark, and come down before 9pm. When descending, remember to take your trash with you to keep the environment clean.

Firefly Viewing Guidelines: No lights, no loud noises, no capturing, no entering the grass.

How to get to Dongwo Creek Starry Sea: Take the Zhulin Interchange off the National Freeway No. 3 (Beiyi Expressway) > Follow Route 120 toward Zhudong/Hengshan > Connect to Provincial Highway 3 > Turn right (onto Route 120) toward Neiwan > Neiwan > Dongwo Creek Firefly Viewing Area