The Yangmingshan Butterfly Season kicks off — spend your weekends dancing with butterflies in Caoshan.

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Network, reported and compiled by Li Xinyi

Yangmingshan National Park boasts lush vegetation, nurturing a rich ecosystem of flora and fauna. Among them, the colorful butterflies flying about are a major crowd-puller. According to butterfly resource surveys over the years, Yangmingshan National Park has recorded 180 species of butterflies across 5 families, accounting for 43% of all butterfly species in Taiwan. Every early summer, nectar plants such as southern thistle, wild angelica, and Eupatorium luchuense bloom, attracting more than ten species of swallowtail butterflies to gather and feed on nectar as they flutter about. Among them, the large lacewing butterfly (blue lacewing) and the Spindasis takanonis (small blue lacewing) reach their peak numbers between May and June each year, creating a stunning scene of butterflies in flight.

Yangmingshan National Park Headquarters has organized the “2012 Yangmingshan Butterfly Season – Butterfly Dance in Caoshan Series of Events,” which will be held from May 1 to July 31. The events include the “Swallowtail Butterfly Ecological Photography Exhibition,” “Swallowtail Butterfly Ecological Special Exhibition,” “Butterfly Ecology School Excursion,” “Datun Lohas Butterfly Fun,” “Caoshan Image Universe,” “Tianxiyuan Insect Symphony,” “Colorful Butterflies’ New Tales,” “Butterfly Exploration,” and “Butterfly Appreciation with Love.” This year’s special “Swallowtail Butterfly Ecological Photography Exhibition” will be on display at the Yangmingshan Park Visitor Center from May 26 to July 31, and the “Swallowtail Butterfly Ecological Special Exhibition” will be held at the Datun Visitor Service Station from May 26 to July 31.

Meanwhile, the “Datun Lohas Butterfly Fun” event runs daily from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM from May 26 to June 24 at the Erziping Visitor Service Station. It is led by professional butterfly ecology guides who will take you on a journey to explore the mysteries of the butterfly world. To get to the mountain, you can take the MRT to Jiantan Station and transfer to bus 260 or Red 5, or go to Shiba Station and switch to bus 小8, or go to Beitou Station and transfer to bus 小9 or 230 to the Yangmingshan Bus Terminal, then transfer to sightseeing bus 108 to Erziping Station. For more details, visit: www.ymsnp.gov.tw.

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