Location: Situated by the Hongshui River in Liugui District, along Provincial Highway 27A and Highway 131, this area boasts rich geographical resources, divided into 11 valley regions, with diverse terrain and abundant native vegetation. Notably, it is home to a large number of Hibiscus and Mesua ferrea trees, offering a beautiful landscape of mountains and waters, as well as a picturesque countryside, making it an ideal environment for insects to thrive. The presence of Hibiscus and Mesua ferrea trees creates a suitable habitat for butterflies to live and breed, earning this place the reputation as a paradise for butterflies. The variety and number of butterflies here, particularly in the Cai'die Valley, are renowned nationwide.
The Cai'die Valley, located by the Hongshui River in Liugui Village, is divided into 11 valley areas, spanning 485 hectares. In 1982, the Kaohsiung County Government announced the establishment of the "Cai'die Valley Scenic Area." Most of the land in this area is state-owned forest land, predominantly planted with Hibiscus and Mesua ferrea trees. Nearby is the Hongshui Pit settlement, with a small population, mainly engaged in fruit tree and bamboo cultivation.
The area's state-owned forest land and abandoned farmland are rich in diverse native vegetation, making it an ideal place for butterflies to inhabit and breed. The best times to observe the large occurrence of the Light Yellow Butterfly are from May to July and September to October. In the past, Cai'die Valley was famous for its rich variety of butterflies, but due to habitat destruction, the butterfly population significantly decreased. Recently, however, with the decline of agriculture and the abandonment of farmland, the ecological environment has gradually returned to its natural state.
In recent years, Cai'die Valley has witnessed a large occurrence of Light Yellow Butterflies, creating a spectacular and beautiful scene with butterflies fluttering about. Through Cai'die Valley, we can explore the mysteries of the butterfly world, appreciate the wonders of nature, and understand the importance of ecological conservation. We should work together to maintain this beautiful butterfly habitat and this shared asset of our planet.
【Hongshui River and Hongshui Pit】 The Hongshui River runs through the entire Cai'die Valley, with continuous waterfalls along the way, clear water quality, and picturesque scenery. It merges with the Laonong River near the Hongshui Pit settlement. The area where the rivers merge has soil with a dark red color, which, during rainy days, gets washed into the river, giving the water a reddish hue, hence the name "Hongshui" River. The valley beside the river is called "Hongshui Pit," which was once a place where Pingpu indigenous people lived. The hillside behind the settlement used to be a place where Winter Purple Butterflies would gather, but due to habitat destruction, it has been years since a large group has been seen wintering there.
【Light Yellow Butterfly】 Although they are divided into two types, "non-patterned" and "silver-patterned," based on their appearance, the Light Yellow Butterfly has these two forms. During the early summer and autumn periods when butterflies occur in large numbers, the initial butterflies that appear are all non-patterned, while the silver-patterned ones appear in the latter half. Under normal climate conditions, the number of non-patterned butterflies is greater than that of the patterned ones. Male Light Yellow Butterflies are often seen gathering by the river to drink water, while females are more commonly found flying and laying eggs among the treetops. Their larvae prefer to feed on leaves of Mesua ferrea, Cassia, and Abrus, and they have a short life cycle and strong reproductive ability, making it easy for them to rapidly multiply into a large population within a short period.