Beautiful butterfly-watching in Maolin — Captured 'wild' Ma Ying-jeou is 'super friendly'

Every year during autumn and winter, large numbers of purple crow butterflies appear in the Maolin Valley. The Maolin National Scenic Area Administration invites the public to come up the mountain to admire the butterflies. (Provided by the Maolin National Scenic Area Administration)

Former President Ma Ying-jeou has been traveling extensively since leaving office, effectively becoming an ambassador for Taiwanese cuisine and tourism. Yesterday (26th), at the invitation of former Kaohsiung County Magistrate Yang Chiu-hsin, he went to Maolin to admire the purple crow butterflies, becoming the first president to visit the area. Ma experienced the local culture and scenery, calling the trip incredibly beautiful. Visitors who 'captured' the 'wild' Ma also praised him as extremely friendly.

According to the United Daily News, Ma Ying-jeou’s private trip was arranged at the invitation of Yang Chiu-hsin. On the evening of the 25th, he stayed overnight at the Xintwei Tiantai Shengong Temple of the Yi Guan Dao, and the next day visited the Deri Riga Bridge in Maolin, which he had helped rebuild in the past. The close friendship between Ma and Yang began during their joint disaster relief efforts during Typhoon Morakot in 2009, and after leaving public office, the two have remained good friends as private citizens.

When they saw Ma Ying-jeou and his group arrive in Maolin, students from the Qingshuiyan Temple Ecological and Cultural Education Association in She Tou, Changhua, exclaimed, "He's really so friendly." Local residents also kept cheering, "Isn't Ma Ying-jeou handsome?" Thanks to Ma’s visit, the Maolin mountains were filled with extra laughter.

During his stay in Maolin, after explanations from professional guides, Ma Ying-jeou got up close to a purple crow butterfly on his palm and marveled, "This is truly a miracle of nature." He walked along mountain trails for nearly an hour and also watched a 3D film about the Purple Butterfly Valley. Ma Ying-jeou praised, "The scenery and the warmth of the people here are both incredibly beautiful."

Li Wu-hsiung, the village chief of Maolin, said that Ma Ying-jeou is the first president to ever visit Maolin, and that it was heartwarming for him to still come and care about the tribe after leaving office. They also hope to draw more attention to Maolin’s purple crow butterfly tourism highlight.

From November each year to March of the following year, millions of purple crow butterflies come to Maolin in Kaohsiung to spend the winter, attracting many tourists to the mountains to admire them. The Maolin Butterfly Valley is as famous as Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Valley. In addition to the world-class spectacle of swarms of purple butterflies flying through the air, there are also unique local tribal cuisines and art forms. During the butterfly-watching season, the Maolin National Scenic Area provides shuttle buses for visitors to come and explore.