Butterfly Valley, or Wu Tip Kuk (Chinese:

Chinese language

The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...

 蝴蝶谷), is a valley

Valley

In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...

 in north of Lai Chi Kok

Lai Chi Kok

Lai Chi Kok is a neighborhood in New Kowloon, Hong Kong, east of Kwai Chung and west of Cheung Sha Wan. Mei Foo Sun Chuen is the largest housing estate in the area. Administratively, it belongs to the Sham Shui Po District.-History:...

 in New Kowloon

New Kowloon

New Kowloon is an area in Kowloon, Hong Kong, bounded in the south by Boundary Street, and in the north by the ranges of the Lion Rock, Beacon Hill, Tate's Cairn and Kowloon Peak...

 of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

. Located between O Pui Shan and Piper's Hill

Piper's Hill

Piper's Hill is a hill north of Cheung Sha Wan in Kowloon of Hong Kong. Administrative, it is on the border between Sham Shui Po District and Sha Tin District. The hill is at the east of Butterfly Valley and west of Eagle's Nest. Tai Po Road goes through Lai Chi Kok Pass in the hill...

, the valley was an habitat

Habitat (ecology)

A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...

 of butterflies before Japanese occupation of Hong Kong

Japanese occupation of Hong Kong

The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began after the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Young, surrendered the territory of Hong Kong to Japan on 25 December 1941 after 18 days of fierce fighting by British and Canadian defenders against overwhelming Japanese Imperial forces. The occupation lasted...

 and thus named after the creatures. During Japanese occupation between 1941 and 1945, the forest in valley was damaged by the Japanese military

Imperial Japanese Army

-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...

 for obtaining wood. The butterflies lost their habitat and hence became extinct. The reforestation

Reforestation

Reforestation is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands that have been depleted, usually through deforestation....

 after war did not help to return the butterflies.

The lower section of the valley was the site of a demolished squatter of Wai Man Tsuen (衛民村). The site now on the construction of Route 8

Route 8 (Hong Kong)

Route 8 of Hong Kong is an 3-lane carriageway dual 3-lane highway that links Lantau Island, Tsing Yi Island, Cheung Sha Wan in West Kowloon, and Sha Tin in the Northeast New Territories of Hong Kong. It is a combination of many sections....

. The upper section is part of country park

Country park

A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...

.

On the side above Piper's Hill, there are Roman Catholic Cemetery, Yew Chung International School of Hong Kong. On another side above O Pui Shan is O Pui Shan Boy's Home.

There is a river run along the valley. Its upper course was blocked for collecting water in Kowloon Reservoirs and its lower course become a covered nullah

Nullah

A Nullah or Nulla is an arm of the sea, stream, or watercourse, a steep narrow valley. Like the wadi of the Arabs, the nullah is characteristic of mountainous or hilly country where there is little rainfall...

 under Butterfly Valley Road

Butterfly Valley Road

Butterfly Valley Road is an alternative road of Castle Peak Road in Lai Chi Kok in Hong Kong. South of Butterfly Valley, the road joins Castle Peak Road, Lai Chi Kok Road, Cheung Sha Wan Road and Kwai Chung Road in its south end and Castle Peak Road and Ching Cheung Road in the north end.The road...

, which is the border of Lai Chi Kok and Cheung Sha Wan

Cheung Sha Wan

Cheung Sha Wan is an area between Lai Chi Kok and Sham Shui Po in New Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is mainly residential to the north and south, with an industrial area in between. Administratively it is part of Sham Shui Po District. The Sham Shui Po District includes Mei Foo as well as Lai Chi...

.

Although its proximity to Lai Chi Kok, large part of valley belongs to Kwai Tsing District

Kwai Tsing District

Kwai Tsing is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It consists of two parts - Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi Island. Kwai Tsing is part of the New Territories. It had a population of 477,092 in 2001...

.

22°20′37.1"N 114°08′41.91"E