When people mentioning about Houtong, what comes up next must be the cats. There is a village in Houtong with cats everywhere, Cat Village. Located next to “Houtong Station,” the “Houtong Cat Village” is one of the famous tourist attractions in New Taipei City. It was once recommended by CNN as the world’s top 6 cat admiring attractions. 

即刻加入ReadyGo官方[email protected]，獲得第一手旅遊資訊與優惠折扣

Resource : Tourism and Travel Department, New Taipei City Government

This former coal-mining village managed to revive itself in the 21st century by tapping into cats. Villagers here traditionally kept cats because houses were built on the hillside where rats were rampant. After the closure of the coal mines, the area went into a decline and many villagers left. About 10 years ago, cat lovers organised efforts to take care of the strays. It attracted the attention of the media and outsiders began dropping off unwanted felines here.

Resource : Tourism and Travel Department, New Taipei City Government

The village soon took on a new identity as a cat village, similar to Japan’s cat islands, with attractive cat-themed shops and cafes for the tourists, and a bridge over the railway for the safe crossing of the felines. Visitors are advised not to bring dogs here.

Cats here are clean and are not afraid of humans. They are under the care of the residents and are the ideal cat models for cameras. Moreover, in order to promote the correct cat-feeding conservation ideas, the Houtong Cat Village built the “Cat Info Station” with cute cat illustrative wall paintings designed by illustrators on the outer walls.

There is a row of cat coffee shops in the village, providing coffee, simple meals and drinks. Come take a break and order a cup of coffee here, you might just get lucky and see cats chasing each other in front of you. 

Travel Info
Cat Village
[猴硐貓村/Hóu dòng māo cūn]
-Located in: Northern Taiwan
-County: New Taipei City
-Features: Scenic Spot, cats
-Highly recommend to: Outdoors Enthusiasts, Families, Cat Aficionado
-Contact: +886-2-24971266
-Address: Chetouding Village (Cat’s Village), Houtong, Guangfu Borough, Ruifang Dist., New Taipei City, Taiwan

Editor : [email protected]
Thanks to Lonely Planet & New Taipei City  Travel for the content sharing.