The cat lanes
Cats asleep on walls and steps.
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Houtong Cat Village is a small mountain village in Ruifang District, New Taipei City, known for the many cats living in its lanes. It was once a coal village that came back to life thanks to the cats, and it is now one of the most charming visits near the capital. Its old name means monkey cave. It prospered under Japanese rule on mines producing around 220,000 tons of coal a year, the largest output of a single area in Taiwan, and it grew to more than 6,000 people. As coal declined in the 1990s young people left and only a few hundred stayed. In 2008 a local cat lover organised a campaign to save abandoned cats and posted their pictures online, and word spread. You cross a walkway above the railway to reach climbing lanes with cats asleep on walls, steps and benches. There are little cat houses, signs with rules for dealing with them, cafes and gift shops. On the other side of the tracks stand the remains of the coal purification factory and a mine park. From the walls you see the railway and the green hills around the valley. The village is 3 km in a straight line south-west of Jiufen and 9.9 km south-east of Keelung, and it is easily reached by train. Feed the cats only as the signs allow, do not pick them up or wake them, and do not use flash. Take precautions if you are allergic to cats. Rain is common here, so bring an umbrella.
Cats asleep on walls and steps.
A footbridge above the station.
Coal factory remains across the tracks.
Ruifang District, New Taipei City
Follow the village signs, do not give human food, and do not disturb them while they sleep.
Yes, it is close by, and many visitors add Shifen too.