Dingtugou Butterfly Village Introduction
Located at the boundary between Shui-Shang Township and Taibao City in Chiayi County, Tuguo Village is composed of two settlements: Ding Tuguo and Xia Tuguo. It is a typical rural area experiencing population outflow, consisting mainly of elderly people and children, with a deteriorating living environment. The county government once proposed to establish a landfill here, which sparked strong protests from villagers and raised their environmental awareness. In recent years, the government has vigorously promoted community overall planning, along with the awakening of local residents, leading to the initiation of community development in Ding Tuguo in 1998. Efforts were made to restore the village environment, improve the drainage systems, and plant water torch lily, transforming the originally dirty and overgrown ditches into clear streams with ecological traces. Tang cotton and garden balsam were also planted to beautify the environment. The unexpected appearance of the Paper Kite butterfly occurred, as Tang cotton, known as a butterfly tree, secretes sweet nectar that provides food for butterflies, attracting them to visit Ding Tuguo. Consequently, villagers decided to plant Tang cotton in large quantities to restore the butterfly population. Under media coverage, the village gained a beautiful reputation as the "Butterfly Village." In 1999, it was a peak year for butterflies, with events such as "Butterflies at My Home" and "Sesame Seed Festival" being held, promoting community observation trends, with over two hundred communities coming to visit, successfully enhancing the fame of Ding Tuguo Butterfly Village. However, in recent years, butterflies have ceased to flutter around the village due to a parasitic wasp infestation that has damaged the butterfly ecosystem. The parasitic wasp lays its eggs inside the butterfly pupa, slowly consuming the butterfly larvae, resulting in bees hatching instead of butterflies. Although it is regrettable, the once aging rural image has undergone a transformation, giving the village a new atmosphere, and the goal of beautifying the environment has been achieved. In 2006, the community received sponsorship from Hsin Yi Realty and forestry subsidies from the Forestry Bureau to create a greenbelt ecological education park along the 1.8 kilometers of Taisugar Railway passing through Ding and Xia Tuguo settlements. This initiative connected the two settlements with the "Butterfly Love Flower Trail" and established a "Spirit Logo of the Flying Butterfly," enhancing the community's multi-cultural ecological features and recreational education functions, as well as providing better leisure options for the public on weekends.
