Golden Butterfly Valley Introduction
Huang Die Cui Gu (Yellow Butterfly Green Valley) is rich in ecological resources and has many ironwood trees suitable for the breeding of yellow butterflies. This attracts the larvae of the silver-bordered fritillary, which feed on the ironwood, creating a stunning spectacle of thousands of yellow butterflies fluttering about, resembling a myriad of stars. The butterflies produced in Huang Die Cui Gu are recorded to include 110 species, among which the silver-bordered fritillary and the common yellow swallowtail once held the record for the highest butterfly density in the world. Initially, the Meinong Reservoir was planned to meet the water demand of the Greater Kaohsiung metropolitan area, but due to the presence of the tropical experimental forest and Huang Die Cui Gu nearby, local residents were concerned that these precious natural ecosystems and cultural assets would be destroyed. Consequently, they formed the "Meinong Love Homeland Association" and joined forces with local ecological conservation groups to launch a series of protests. After years of advocacy, the initial anti-reservoir movement evolved into a water resource conservation movement. Since 1995, the "Meinong Yellow Butterfly Festival" has been held annually in the Huang Die Cui Gu area of the planned Meinong Reservoir site to promote environmental education.
