Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
elettes (
é ā jiān
), and sweet treats such as cow-tongue crackers (
níushé bǐng
) and dragon
whiskers (
lóngxū táng
).
Yu Chen Chai
SWEETS $
(Yùzhēnzhāi Shípǐn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī; 168 Minzu Rd; 8am-11pm)
This fifth-generation shop
sells pastries based on original Qing-dynasty recipes. Try the phoenix-eye cake (
fèngyǎn
gāo
) or the green-bean cake (
lùdoù gāo
).
OF BUTTERFLIES & BIRDS
For serious birders and butterfly buffs, Linnei Township in Yunlin County has two
remarkable things not to be missed: a butterfly migration corridor and a reserve
for the globally endangered fairy pitta.
Purple Butterfly Migration
Every spring hundreds of thousands of purple crow butterflies migrate from the
warm, sheltered valleys of the south to the north to breed. In Linnei Township, the
western migrants converge before crossing the Choshui River. It isn't easy to see
the migration unfold as much depends on the weather conditions. However, the
peak action hours should be from 7am to 9am daily between 20 March and 10
April.
The best place to see the butterflies on the move is
Linbei Village Chukou
(Lín-
běicūn Chùkǒu), where Provincial Hwy 3 and National Fwy 3 almost touch. To con-
firm you've got the right spot, just look up at the freeway overpass. If you don't see
600m of netting, designed to help the butterflies pass over the highway safely, you
are in the wrong spot.
In addition to Linbei Village Chukou, the ridgetop tea-growing village of
Pingding
(Píngdǐng) is a good place to spot the butterflies.
Fairy Pitta
A 17.4-sq-km area between the villages of Pingding and
Huben
(Húběn) has been
designated as a major wildlife habitat by Taiwan's Forestry Bureau, and an Import-
ant Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. The habitat is the world's largest
breeding ground for the globally threatened fairy pitta (bā sè niǎo). This enchant-
ing migratory bird, aptly called the eight-coloured bird in Chinese, arrives in Taiwan
in April for the breeding season, which lasts till May. By August the adults and their
young have started migrating south, some travelling as far as Borneo.
There are various trails and interpretation signs in the areas, mostly with English
translations.
