Chasing the Light: The Firefly Renaissance of Daan Forest Park

“We broke the record yesterday! We broke the record!” an excited volunteer guide announces. “We counted over 200 fireflies.” Held annually from mid-April to early May, the park’s guided firefly tours invariably draw large crowds. Seniors flock here following the threads of childhood nostalgia, eager to relive summer nights spent chasing glowing bugs. Parents arrive with little ones in tow, hoping to imprint the magic of that shimmering light into their children's formative memories. Here, along darkened trails, multiple generations share the same springtime wonder.

Accessible directly via the Taipei Metro, the successful ecological restoration at Daan Forest Park offers a valuable “Taiwan model” for how global metropolises can coexist seamlessly with nature.

Reclaiming the glow of a city’s past

Modeled after New York’s Central Park, Daan Forest Park opened its gates in 1994 in one of Taipei’s toniest districts. Two decades later, in 2014, the Friends of Daan Forest Park Foundation was established. Driven by a coalition of scholars and experts in ecology, landscaping, and environmental science, the foundation set out to diagnose the health of this urban oasis—and to let nature take firm root once again within the concrete jungle.

According to local elders, the site predating the park was once dotted with small ponds where fireflies were a common sight. This collective memory served as the genesis for an ecological restoration project: a vision to allow residents to see fireflies right in the city center, without having to trek deep into remote mountains.

Fireflies serve as a crucial bioindicator for changing ecological health. (courtesy of Friends of Daan Forest Park Foundation)

Custom-designed amber pedestrian lights in Daan Forest Park carefully illuminate the paths without disturbing the fireflies.

A Decade of Light: Illuminating the Spring Night

The restoration began by overhauling the habitat. The team constructed a micro-ecological pond, laid permeable pavements, and engineered an underground “rain barrel” system to collect rainwater. This allowed for continuous water circulation, naturally boosting dissolved oxygen levels. They subsequently planted Taiwan-native aquatic and riparian flora along the banks, and introduced mud snails and river snails to serve as a steady food supply for firefly larvae. After releasing lab-reared larvae into the pond to test their adaptability, the breakthrough finally arrived: on April 1, 2016, the team recorded the first successful emergence of an adult firefly, returning that signature glimmer to the city’s nocturnal landscape.

Since then, firefly watching has become a unique springtime rendezvous in metropolitan Taipei. However, the foundation early on recognized a critical challenge: Because fireflies rely on bioluminescent flashes to communicate and mate, artificial lighting can severely disrupt their behavior. To mitigate this, they collaborated with Everlight Electronics to custom-design specialized amber pedestrian lights. Emitting a precise 590-nanometer wavelength, these fixtures still ensure nighttime pedestrian safety on walking paths while minimizing ecological interference.

Over the past decade, whenever spring nights roll around, a dedicated corps of volunteers musters at Pavilion No. 4 at dusk to guide eager crowds down the firefly trail network. Weekend turnouts routinely surge into the thousands. For international visitors, the park also offers English-language guided tours, transforming an urban encounter with nature into a fascinating new window for learning about Taipei.

The park’s firefly trail network is characterized by dense vegetation, strict darkness (zero light pollution), and high humidity—the ideal habitat for these sensitive insects.

The triumphant return of fireflies to Daan Forest Park has sparked a newfound connection between urban residents and the natural world.

Where the city meets nature

Easily accessible via the Taipei Metro, a stroll through Daan Forest Park offers a striking juxtaposition. You can still hear the incessant hum of traffic, and a glance upward reveals the iconic silhouette of Taipei 101 anchoring the skyline. Yet, looking down on a spring evening as you slip into the firefly area, you are instantly enveloped by a drifting constellation of bioluminescence.

When the glaring lights of skyscrapers and the soft glow of fireflies intersect under the same night sky, prosperity and tranquility—the metropolis and nature—somehow achieve a perfect harmony. This triumphant ecological restoration not only illuminates a path for urbanites to reconnect with the natural world, but also infuses the city of Taipei with a touch of pure magic.

Fast Facts: The Firefly Guide 

．Fireflies are broadly categorized into aquatic and terrestrial species. Daan Forest Park specifically rehabilitated an aquatic species known as the yellow-margined firefly (Aquatica ficta).
Undergoing complete metamorphosis, fireflies’ life cycle spans four distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
．While the larval stage drags on for a lengthy 200 days, the adult lifespan is fleeting, lasting a mere two weeks.
．The larvae are carnivorous, feasting on aquatic snails and shellfish. Upon reaching adulthood, they pivot to a strictly vegetarian diet, subsisting entirely on dew and nectar.
．The insects you see dancing in the air are predominantly male. Females rarely fly; instead, they remain perched on tree trunks or hidden within tall grass and underbrush, pulsing their lights to attract mates.