Xiamen's nightlife gets new wings and glows

Children observe aquatic fireflies in small tanks. Lan Tianyi / for China Daily

Xiamen's new nightlife entertainment comes in the form of, well, life forms that entertain at night.

Visitors to the 1.3-hectare Firefly Park in Fujian province's seaside resort city take 10-minute nocturnal strolls through a wetland valley among the twinkles of more than 10,000 of the locale's namesake luminous insects. It's China's first of its kind.

The inky darkness serves as a tapestry for the bugs to color with their bodies, as they blink yellow, green, blue and red. They make the bushes resemble Christmas trees.

Lucky visitors can witness the natural phenomenon in which sets of fireflies blink in concert.

Park-goers must keep their voices down to avoid disturbing the natural environment. The only illumination aside from that from the bugs comes from LED signs that lead visitors along the 300-meter wooden-plank loop.

The park is actually a nonprofit project by a local LED manufacturer.

It's intended to entertain while raising environmental awareness, the park's general manager Hou Xiaohui says.

Consequently, tours begin with a video about the creatures' habitats, life cycles and bioluminescence.

Park rangers answer questions.

On display are a special species called aquatic fireflies. Their larvae inhabit shorelines, while adults tend to be found around ponds, streams and other areas that retain moisture.

Rangers instruct visitors as to how to observe and touch the larvae, which emit faint light pulses.

Families are encouraged to bring children to raise awareness among the next generation. Up to 50 families can visit a day but must make phone or online reservations.