 Butterfly Spring, 25 kilometers north of Dali, has ancient camphor trees beside it. By hiking under the last of Mt. Cangshan’s 19 peaks and exploring the northern end of Erhai Lake, a visit here can be turned to good advantage. In spring, when the trees put forth fragrant flowers, thousands of butterflies’ flutter among the branches and over the spring water forms a dazzling "Kingdom of Butterflies". The spectacle has become a real wonder known far and wide. The inevitable legend associated with the spring is that two lovers committed suicide here to escape a cruel king. After jumping into the bottomless pond, they turned into two of the butterflies which gather here each year during May.
The spring, in a shady grove on the lower slopes of the Mt. Cangshan, was justifiable famous for centuries because of a breathtaking convergence every springtime of tens of thousands of butterflies at this spot. The phenomenon was documented many times.
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