Many people like the starry sky. But have you ever seen the sky lightening up by thousands of twinkling fireflies in the dark nights? Want to explore? Please come to Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) in SW China to experience the “mid-summer dream” on this wonderland. 

Thanks to its clear skies, beautiful landscapes, and other environmental advantages, XTBG is regarded as an ideal place for ample firefly viewing. It is a place where numerous fireflies unite in summer, dancing and flicking, enlightening the garden into a fairy land. 

Fireflies are also called lightning bugs. They are tiny, brown color beetles in the family of Lampyridae. Their lower abdomen can produce yellow, green, or pale-red lights, with wave lengths from 510-670 nanometers.  

The best place for viewing the fairy beauty of fireflies in XTBG is the Flower Garden. 

While enjoying the fairy beauty of flicking fireflies, you may want to know why and how they light up.  

According to scientists, the light of a firefly is a chemical reaction caused by an organic compound called luciferin in their abdomens. As air rushes into a firefly’s abdomen, it reacts with the luciferin and causes chemical reaction that gives off the firefly’s familiar glow. 

Some experts say that the fireflies light up for safety and romance. The flickering of fireflies is not only a wonder of the night, but also a unique, and sometimes deadly, language of love. 

 The sparkling fireflies dancing in Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG). (Image by ZHANG Jiaojiao) 

  The sparkling fireflies dancing in Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG). (Image by ZHANG Jiaojiao) 

  The sparkling fireflies dancing in Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG). (Image by ZHANG Jiaojiao) 

  The sparkling fireflies dancing in Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG). (Image by ZHANG Jiaojiao) 

  The sparkling fireflies dancing in Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG). (Image by ZHANG Jiaojiao) 

 The sparkling fireflies dancing in Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG). (Image by ZHANG Jiaojiao)