Houtong

Houtong (猴硐), located in Rueifang District, is a mountain village in eastern New Taipei City. It was originally called Hou Dong (猴洞) because of a cave in the area that was once inhabited by a group of wild monkeys. The whole Houtong area is surrounded by mountains and located by the upstream portion of the Keelung River. A visit here will reveal a perfect scene seemingly handcrafted for the enjoyment of both photographers and landscape artists.

Coal played an important role as Taiwan entered its own industrial revolution era, and Houtong was one of Taiwan's largest coal-mining sites up until the 1970s. The plentitude of coal attracted many migrants from around the country. However, oil later replaced coal when electric trains took over. The coal mining industry began to fall into decline in the 1990s. As a result, Houtong became just another train stop along the Yilan Line that most travelers bypassed.

Whether by chance or by design, cats began to appear on the scene and have since replaced the once vibrant human population. Miraculously, these 21st century viral video phenoms have given the sleepy Houtong a whole new life. Instead of a coal-mining town, “Cat Village” is now the primary nickname for Houtong. The village is not only a paradise for cats, but also a paradise for cat lovers, and you’re guaranteed to see plenty of wide-eyed visitors snapping hundreds of photos of these lazy but infinitely cute critters. If you plan to visit, just make sure not to bring a dog along and please do not feed these kitties food.

Notice:

Please do not feed human food to the cats.