Meinong & Maolin — Hakka Culture & Butterflies

Taiwan's Hidden South

Off the beaten tourist paths, southern Taiwan offers two hidden gems that deserve to be discovered: the Hakka village of Meinong and the Maolin Butterfly Valley.

Meinong (美濃) — Hakka Tradition

The Hakka are a Chinese ethnic group that migrated to Taiwan in the 17th–18th centuries and have preserved their own language, cuisine, and traditions. Meinong is Taiwan's best-preserved Hakka village: tobacco barns from the Japanese era, traditional oil-paper umbrella making (you can paint one yourself!), Hakka cloth weaving, and a unique cuisine. The Hakka Stir-Fry (客家小炒) — stir-fried pork with dried fish and spring onions — is hearty and aromatic. Ban Tiao (板條, wide rice noodles in broth) is the Hakka counterpart to Taiwan's beef noodle soup.

Maolin (茂林) — Purple Butterfly Valley

From November to March, millions of purple crow butterflies (Euploea) overwinter in the warm valleys around Maolin — one of only two places in the world (besides Mexico's Monarch butterfly reserve) where such a phenomenon occurs. The butterflies hang in dense clusters on the trees, covering entire branches. The Maolin National Scenic Area offers hiking trails, suspension bridges, and waterfalls. The best way to get there is by bus from Kaohsiung (1.5h).