One of the most amazing tourist destinations in Rueifang District of Taiwan is the Houtong Cat Village after the coal mining industry has declined in 1990. This mountainous part of the country is located in the eastern part of New Taipei City. The district of Reuifang is well-known for its rich culture and Yilan railway structure built during the colonial period of Japanese. Originally, Houtong was called Hou Dong which means “monkey cave” since there are wild monkeys inhabiting in the area during the past.
Today, Rueifang is known for its Houtong Cat Village filled with well-preserved historical sites and nostalgic ambience where cat enthusiasts find the place very exciting for cat photography. There are many stray cats roaming around the station. Houtong is now popular for having the Houtong Coalmine Ecological Park and Houtong Cat Village, two beautiful places to witness the history of coal mining and enjoy cat amateur photography. The park also consists of Japanese era building, coal processing plants, mining transport bridge, educational exhibits, and museums. The museum contains the stories, relics, and histories of the coal mining industry. There are lots of activities in the area designed for tourists in order to experience the miner’s working condition in the past and get the chance to touch the gold bar weighing 200.3 kilograms. The intriguing combination of industrial relics and colonial-era buildings made it more appealing to many travelers. Yearly, these two places attract large local and international travelers for the fascinating scene of stray cats and old railway architectures.
Houtong Cat Village is established around in 2008 when a group of volunteers organized a better living environment for abandoned cats in the nearby areas. As the group received overwhelming support from other car lovers, bloggers, and photographers, Houtong became popular as the center for cat lovers. Now, the numbers of cats are getting bigger and bigger and turned the dying village into a well-known eco-park destination. For your feline fantasy in Taiwan, book for a day trip and witness the beauty of the whole village including its indigenous culture, dramatic scenery, and lovely cats. Hop in a train at Taipei Main station and enjoy your 90 minutes ride. Be amazed in the kitty themed place when you arrived at the country’s formerly most productive coal mine. A big cat head made of rattan sculpture welcomes you at Houtong Cat Village where more than 100 cats roam around without restraint on the street. Cats in the village are already accustomed with people around. They do not flinch when tourists squeeze and pat them. Long before, the village was very abundant with gold and after the gold mines became scarce and dry, the coal mining city met a massive decline. The Chinese people believe that cats bring good luck, and this has been the case at the dying village few years ago. Now that Houtong has become famous for its friendly cats, the local residents set up cat-themed shop houses like coffee shops and bakeries selling cat-inspired products.
