Houtong Cat Village

Houtong was a coal village, one of the largest producers in Taiwan until the mine closed in 1990 and the population collapsed. In 2008 a photographer began documenting the stray cats living in the empty houses, the pictures spread, and volunteers started feeding and neutering; the village now has a hundred or so cats and a great many visitors. The mining buildings, the coal washing plant and a bridge for coal wagons survive alongside.

What you actually see

• The cats - around a hundred living in and around the village, fed by volunteers.
• The coal washing plant - the mine buildings standing above the station.
• The coal bridge - the wagon bridge across the river, now a footway.
• The mining museum - displays on the industry the village was built for.

When to go

Year round; weekends are extremely crowded and the cats retreat. Weekday mornings are far better for both. Rain empties the place.

Honest expectations

Weekend crowds are heavy and handling or feeding the cats with outside food is discouraged and often ignored. Some cats are in poor condition. The village is small and an hour covers it.

Nearby

Sandiaoling is down the line, and Jiufen is over the hill.