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Fireflies, stars light up Alishan’s Lijia Village

A wooden gazebo stands alongside one of the tree-lined trails in Alishan’s Lijia Village, central Chiayi County. (Staff photo/Chen Mei-ling)

• Publication Date：04/22/2011
• Source： Taiwan Today
• By  Elaine Hou

Deep in the mountains of Alishan Township, Chiayi County, lies Lijia Village, a place of pristine beauty where the rivers flow gently and wild animals spotted at every turn. At night, hundreds and thousands of fireflies flit about, as millions of stars twinkle in the sky above.

This tranquil world was shattered, however, in August 2009, by Typhoon Morakot, the most destructive storm to hit Taiwan in more than 50 years. In three days, a record 2,000 millimeters of rain poured down, flooding most of Lijia. Mudslides buckled the roads and washed away houses, leaving the future of once beautiful village uncertain.

The only consolation was that Lijia’s 300 residents had all survived.

The villagers, members of the Tsou tribe—one of the 14 officially recognized indigenous groups in Taiwan—had lived in Lijia their whole lives and refused to relocate. They were determined to rebuild their homes instead.

Now, after 19 months of reconstruction, the village has nearly been restored to its former state. To mark its rebirth, Lijia is holding a special festival, “Stepping out with Alishan’s Fireflies,” that runs until June 30.

Chen Zhen-chuan, deputy chief executive of the Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council, praised the villagers during the festival’s opening ceremony April 2.

“It’s so inspiring to see the villagers back on their feet again after everything they’ve been through,” Chen said. “Their unrelenting efforts, along with help from the public and private sectors, have made it possible for the village to open its arms to the world once more.”

The Tsou first moved to Lijia a little over a century ago. The lack of development has left its natural beauty intact until Morakot.

“The sky above the village is so clear and beautiful we decided to call the place ‘Blue Tribe,’” Huang Fa-de, chief of the Recreation Section of Alishan National Scenic Area Administration, told Taiwan Today April 6.

Since Morakot, Lijia residents have decided to make better use of the region’s beauty by turning it into a preferred travel destination for nature lovers.

Fireflies glitter in Alishan Township, Chiayi County. (Courtesy of Zhuang Xin-ran)

Visitors to the 5,838-hectare village, situated between 1,100 and 1,400 meters above sea level, certainly have plenty to do, chief among them firefly watching.

“The fireflies glow on and off in the grasses and trees at our village year round,” said Yang Qi-chuan, executive secretary of Lijia Community Development Association. “Twenty-five of the 56 firefly species found in Taiwan can be seen here.”

From April to June, Luciola cerata, around 0.8 centimeters long, and Luciola anceyi, 1 to 1.5 centimeters long, are most commonly seen. Luciola kagiana Matsumura, similar in size to Luciola anceyi, appears in late summer, followed by the bigger Pyrocoelia analis in fall and Diaphanes lampyroides in winter.

“When the fireflies dance and flicker, they look like a gigantic, glittering Christmas tree from a distance,” Yang said. “When the fireflies are out, it’s safer to stop talking—there are so many of them one just might fly into your mouth.”

Besides firefly tours, stargazing is another must. Far from any major metropolis, Lijia is entirely unaffected by light pollution, and thus a perfect place to observe the stars, said Wu Kun-chen, a technical assistant at the Taipei Astronomical Museum.

The moderate temperatures make it easier for stargazers to stay outdoors for extended periods of time, Wu added. “Unlike alpine observation sites, Lijia doesn’t get bone-chilling cold so heavy clothing is not required.”

“When the sky is cloudless, we can see the Milky Way shining clearly with the naked eye,” some local residents said excitedly.

While Lijia has long been known as a firefly sanctuary, not many people were drawn to the village for its starry nights until recently, when the reconstruction council suggested astronomical activities could become a new tourism draw, Chen said.

With the council as a mediator, the astronomical museum pitched in to train villagers into astronomy guides.

The first 24 trainees, comprising elementary school students and middle-aged adults, have received certificates after finishing the program in late March, and are well-prepared to guide visitors on their astronomy tours.

In fact, the Tsou people have played a part in Taiwan’s astronomical developments. About a decade ago, when Taoyuan-based National Central University was building its Lulin Observatory in Alishan, tribal members helped out greatly by carrying construction materials to the remote site located 2,862 meters above sea level.

Tourists to Lijia Village can find the Milky Way shining over the sky without the assistance of telescopes. (Courtesy of Wu Kun-chen)

After the station was completed, Tsou youth continued working as assistants to astronomers there. To express gratitude for their assistance, Lulin researchers named an asteroid found in 2006 “Tsou,” Wu said. “It’s the first object in the universe named after a Taiwanese indigenous group.

“Take a trip to Lijia, and you’ll have a chance to spot Tsou in a Tsou tribe,” Wu added.

The flora and fauna of the village, waiting to be explored by visitors, are another attraction of Lijia, according to Yang. “Along the village’s extensive tree-lined trails stand hundreds of cheery and camphor trees.

“Some 20 bird species are also found here, including the white-eared sibia, grey-cheeked fulvetta and Japanese green pigeon.” Strolling down these footpaths, visitors can take a scenic forest bath as birds chirp in the trees.

Other animals in the vicinity of the village include pangolins, Formosan macaques and Formosan muntjacs, Yang said.

Those who love outdoor activities should find a camping site—with 14 bamboo houses built in the traditional Tsou style—irresistible. Up to 28 tents can be set up near the houses, Yang added.

In addition, Lijia has five guest houses to accommodate tourists. At these places, visitors are served authentic Tsou dishes such as deep-fried river shrimp, grilled wild boar and glutinous rice cooked in sections of bamboo.

Now that the village has made it through one of the most devastating natural disasters Taiwan has ever witnessed, the Alishan scenic area administration is upping efforts to promote Lijia’s ecotourism by developing package tours to neighboring Tsou communities featuring different activities, landscapes and wildlife, Huang said.

“We expect Lijia, with its intact ecological system, to become an outstanding nature classroom,” Huang said. (HZW)

Write to Elaine Hou at elainehou@mail.gio.gov.tw