Butterfly emergence in Yunnan reaches decade-high peak
Updated: May 26, 2026By Li Yingqing and Yan Yujie in Kunmingchinadaily.com.cnPrint
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The massive butterflies at the Honghe butterfly valley in the Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province. [Photo by Yue Jianbo/For chinadaily.com.cn]
Since early May, the Honghe butterfly valley in the Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province, has witnessed a breathtaking spectacle as hundreds of millions of butterflies emerge from their chrysalises.
The massive butterflies at the Honghe butterfly valley in the Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province. [Photo by Yue Jianbo/For chinadaily.com.cn]
The most common species, the jungle queen butterfly, flutters elegantly through the air during the month-long season.
The massive butterflies at the Honghe butterfly valley in the Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province. [Photo by Yue Jianbo/For chinadaily.com.cn]
This year's emergence kicked off in early May, with their numbers growing by 20 percent daily. In the core viewing area of the valley, the butterfly population has surged past 100 million, marking the highest total in nearly a decade, according to local authorities.
A butterfly at the Honghe butterfly valley in the Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province. [Photo by Xu Lingui/For chinadaily.com.cn]
The valley is home to 11 out of the 12 butterfly families found nationwide, with over 320 species of butterflies, making it one of the densest regions in the world for butterfly populations and resources.
A butterfly at the Honghe butterfly valley in the Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province. [Photo by Xu Lingui/For chinadaily.com.cn]
A butterfly at the Honghe butterfly valley in the Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province. [Photo by Xu Lingui/For chinadaily.com.cn]
The massive butterflies at the Honghe butterfly valley in the Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province. [Photo by Xu Lingui/For chinadaily.com.cn]
A visitor is surrounded by butterflies at the Honghe butterfly valley in the Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province. [Photo by Zhang Tianxiang/For chinadaily.com.cn]