Guan Fuyun arranges a butterfly specimen at the exhibition hall of his butterfly garden in Jimsar County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Automnomous Region, May 15, 2020. After nine years, Guan Fuyun accomplished a long "eclosion" -- establishing his own butterfly business in China's far northwest. In his butterfly garden, named "Seven Colours", visitors can enjoy close contact with real butterflies and see how the insects grow to adults from the chrysalides. The 34-year-old entrepreneur from Jimsar County in Xinjiang had got his current business inspiration while watching a TV show in 2011. According to Guan, raising butterflies was a relatively new idea back then, so he took only a few tentative steps at the beginning. He went to Hainan Province in south China, learned butterfly cultivation there for three months and brought home more than 100 chrysalides. Through trial and error, Guan eventually managed to make his butterfly population expand 100-fold by 2014. Except live butterflies, which can be released in ceremonial activities, Guan has also explored alternative ways to preserve the insects' ephemeral beauty, by making them into specimens and collages. A vivid, aesthetic butterfly wing collage can take days to make, Guan said. "It's more about artistic creation rather than batch hatching." Guan's butterfly products are sold both online and offline with positive market response. His butterfly garden, opened in 2019, was also built with support from the local government. "I hope I can further expand my business so that more people can be part of it and make fortune," said Guan, showing optimism for butterfly business prospects.Photo:Xinhua

Guan Fuyun introduces an orange oakleaf butterfly to visitors at his butterfly garden in Jimsar County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Automnomous Region, May 15, 2020. After nine years, Guan Fuyun accomplished a long "eclosion" -- establishing his own butterfly business in China's far northwest. In his butterfly garden, named "Seven Colours", visitors can enjoy close contact with real butterflies and see how the insects grow to adults from the chrysalides. The 34-year-old entrepreneur from Jimsar County in Xinjiang had got his current business inspiration while watching a TV show in 2011. According to Guan, raising butterflies was a relatively new idea back then, so he took only a few tentative steps at the beginning. He went to Hainan Province in south China, learned butterfly cultivation there for three months and brought home more than 100 chrysalides. Through trial and error, Guan eventually managed to make his butterfly population expand 100-fold by 2014. Except live butterflies, which can be released in ceremonial activities, Guan has also explored alternative ways to preserve the insects' ephemeral beauty, by making them into specimens and collages. A vivid, aesthetic butterfly wing collage can take days to make, Guan said. "It's more about artistic creation rather than batch hatching." Guan's butterfly products are sold both online and offline with positive market response. His butterfly garden, opened in 2019, was also built with support from the local government. "I hope I can further expand my business so that more people can be part of it and make fortune," said Guan, showing optimism for butterfly business prospects.Photo:Xinhua

Photo:Xinhua

Photo:Xinhua

Photo:Xinhua