Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
hundred kilometres, and in a series of 12 to 15 warm, sheltered valleys in the Dawu
Mountain Range, 10 to 15 million of them settle in for the winter.
This mass overwintering is not common. In fact, Taiwan is one of only two places
in the world where it happens: the other is in the Monarch Butterfly Valleys of Mex-
ico. The most famous overwintering site in Taiwan is in Maolin Recreation Area, but
according to experts this is actually the least populated valley. It simply had the ad-
vantage of being the first to be discovered and written about.
The discovery happened in 1971 when an amateur entomologist was invited into
Maolin by local Rukai aboriginals. Though not aware of just how significant the find
was, the entomologist (and others) continued to study the valley. By the
mid-1980s it was obvious that a north-south migration route existed, though it
wasn't until 2005 that the 400km route along the west could be roughly mapped
out. Since then a second migration path along the east coast and a connecting
path joining the two have also been discovered.
The northern migration usually begins around March, and, astonishingly, it in-
volves many of the same individuals who flew down in the autumn (purples have
been found to live up to nine months). Some good places to spot the spring migra-
tion are Linnei, Dawu (in Taitung County), Pingtung County Rd 199, Taichung's Met-
ropolitan Park, Baguashan, and coastal areas of Jhunan (Miaoli County) where the
purples stop to breed. In May and June large numbers of purples appear to take a
mysterious detour and are blown back south over the high mountain pass at
Tatajia.
If you're curious as to just how the migration occurs in the first place, the answer
is relatively simple: seasonal winds. In the autumn they come strong out of Mongo-
lia and China, while in the spring they blow up from the Philippines. Without them
the purples would be unlikely to move such great distances and this would mean
their death when the temperatures drop during northern winters.
From spring until autumn, purple butterflies are easily spotted all over Taiwan.
So give a nod to these brave wayfarers when you encounter them in a park or
mountain trail. They may have come a long way.
For a mostly accurate look at the discovery of the western migratory route check
outThe Butterfly Code, a Discovery Channel DVD.
