Ruili Scenic Area

The Ruili Scenic Area is located at the northwestern corner of the Alishan National Scenic Area, in Alishan Township in west-central Taiwan's Chiayi County. The two main villages here are Ruili and Ruifang.

Ruili, with a population of 970, is a farming area known for its thick groves of bamboo and numerous tea plantations. The village spreads out over a region with considerable variation in elevation, but the central area is almost exactly at 1,000 meters above sea level. The village boasts a small but elegant Taoist structure, the Yuanxing Temple. There are also plenty of nice hiking trails around. Local and international visitors can enjoy the beautiful natural scenery around the surrounding hills.

Another unusual tourist attraction in Ruili is the fireflies. The life cycle of these insects closely follows the seasons, and in Ruili they are most abundant from March through June.

There are approximately 2,000 species of fireflies. Taiwan has at least 44 known species. Fireflies were once common throughout Taiwan, but they have dramatically decreased in numbers in recent years, probably due to pollution and increased use of pesticides.