Houtong Cat Village — Attraction in New Taipei

The area has two primary attractions: cats (obviously) and (ex) coal mines. I didn't venture into the Coal Mining museum as tickets for the tour (conducted on board a mini train styled like coal mining carts) were rather pricey to me (plus, because it was a rainy day, the seats on board the mini train were inadvertently wet).

There were definitely cats despite the weather, and most are quite friendly—nonetheless, still exercise the necessary caution to avoid provoking the cats/sustaining injuries. However, do note that because majority are stray/community cats, they lack proper hygiene (according to a friend who visited another time, they discovered that they had picked up cat ticks from the cats during their visit), so do take note to wash your hands thoroughly after playing with the cats before you do anything else.

The village also has some rather large dogs (mostly mongrels/street dogs) so do exercise the necessary caution (I did not attempt to pet them, and I do not advise doing so without foreknowledge of their temperament).

Getting around the village is largely by foot and via stairs, so it's definitely not suitable for personal mobility device users and prams.

Food-wise: we saw mostly a handful of cafes/cafe-like establishments—I patronised the one at the top of the Piano Stairs (as we wanted to get out of the worsening rain and the next nearest establishment did not offer more than tea options; i.e. Nothing of the main course variety). More info on this in a separate review.

Souvenir wise: i observed about 3 stores: one directly below the station (the only one selling cat-themed postcards), one immediately beside the station on the 'coal mining side' of the village, and one in the 'cat side' of the village (after crossing the bridge from the station to Cat Village). There's also a fortune cat specialty shop on the cat-centric side). Prices in the shop inside Cat Village are slightly cheaper than the one immediately beside the train station, though their offerings differ slightly.

The 'coal mining side' has pretty breathtaking views of Yang Ming Shan and Ji Long River, and my friends and I spied something that looked like a hiking trail as well (though we did not venture onto it due to the weather).

The only way to get here is via Normal TRA Trains—FYI: that means an hour of travel if you're coming from Taipei; however, if you're coming from Yilan, that's...

A peacefully quiet, quaint cat village with a rich mining history. Located just outside Houtong station, you'll immediately notice a plethora of cat signage all around, signaling the route to where you can find the cats. Unfortunately, my husband and I went on a rainy day, so not many cats were present. The cats that were around were dozing lazily, undisturbed by the visitors taking snapshots of them - they seem to be used to constant attention, maybe even relish in it! All of the cats were friendly and did not seem to fuss, although I must note, some of the cats did seem a bit sickly (as they are stray cats). Upon doing a bit of research, volunteers and city workers do tend to sickly cats and even administer vaccines annually to help keep them healthy. Definitely a plus for me that the village is proactive in maintaining the care for these lovely cats, along with being fed.

Oh yes, and the scenery. The rolling hills and the emerald green river was picturesque. Truly a peaceful, beautiful place that reminded me of a Ghibli film (coincidentally we were also on our way to Jiufen, which inspired Spirited Away!). There were many cafes located on the cat viewing routes, which is indeed a nice spot to sit amongst the cats and take in scenery in front of you while sipping some tea.

Houtong cat village is a purridise for...

A wonderful area reminiscent of a small Japanese village, peaceful and calm, and beautiful in the rain.

Before visiting, I recommend purchasing some proper cat food, and bring anything else you may need to provide these adorable kitties with a proper meal e.g. a bowl. While treats are sold by many vendors here, any cat owners know they shouldn't be the only thing the cats eat, and it's quite detrimental to their health, as mentioned by a shop owner when she saw the sachets of treats we had.

So that's also a reminder to not feed them too many treats please! Consider how many tourists come through here on a daily basis. The cats are feral and don't always have access to vets, bring them a nice healthy meal 🙏❤️

Getting off the train by going up the stairs, I recommend going right and seeing the beautiful river view, crossing the high bridge walking down then crossing back the other bridge and walk towards the station through a carpark. Don't get food on this side of the village.

Instead, there's a walkway through the station that's one level above that'll take you across to the other side. There are many beautiful cafes on this side of town, including a gorgeous Japanese cafe that will serve tasty drinks and cake, as well as proper food.

Enjoy your trip and look...