Dingtu Stream Butterfly Village Introduction
Located at the intersection of Shuishang Township and Taibao City in Chiayi County, Tuguo Village consists of two communities: Ding Tuguo and Xia Tuguo. It is a typical rural area experiencing population decline, with only the elderly and children remaining in the community. The living environment has deteriorated over time, and the county government once proposed setting up a landfill here, which sparked strong protests from villagers and raised environmental awareness among them. In recent years, with the government promoting community development, along with the awakening of local residents, the Ding Tuguo community began its community building efforts in 1998. The community focused on environmental restoration, improving drainage by planting wax gourd, and transforming previously filthy and overgrown ditches into cleaner waterways with ecological footprints. They also planted cotton bushes and the indigo plant to beautify the environment. The appearance of the Common Mormon butterfly was a pleasant surprise, as the cotton tree, also known as the butterfly tree, secretes sweet nectar that provides food for butterflies. This attracted butterflies to Ding Tuguo, leading villagers to decide to cultivate cotton bushes in large numbers to nurture the butterfly population. With media coverage, the village gained a reputation as the “Butterfly Village.” In 1999, the butterfly population peaked, leading to various activities such as “Butterflies at My Home” and “Rape Seed Festival,” which sparked interest and visits from over 200 communities, successfully promoting the name of Ding Tuguo Butterfly Village. However, in recent years, butterflies have stopped flying due to parasitic wasps invading and disrupting the butterfly ecology. These wasps lay their eggs inside butterfly pupae, slowly consuming the caterpillars, resulting in bees hatching instead of butterflies. Though this was unfortunate, the image of the aging village has been revitalized, achieving its goal of beautifying the environment. In 2006, the community received sponsorship from Sinyi Realty and funding from the Forestry Bureau for community forestry. They planned to create an ecological education park along the 1.8-kilometer Tai Sugar Railway that connects the Ding and Xia Tuguo communities, establishing the “Butterfly Love Trail” around the villages and creating a “Flying Butterfly Spirit Logo.” This initiative aims to enhance the community’s diverse cultural ecology and recreational and educational functions, providing better leisure options for the public on weekends.
