Houtong is a small village connected to the Pingxi Railway in Ruifang District in New Taipei, famous for its many cats. Once a booming mining town with the most coal production in Taiwan, it has now been converted into a tourist destination for cat lovers. Visitors can enjoy the town's rich history as well as hundreds of cats and cat-related shops around the village.
Background: Houtong train station was completed in 1920 during the Japanese colonization of Taiwan, in order to ship coal from mines nearby. The area around the village was once the most prosperous mining town in Taiwan, bringing in hundreds of thousands of tons of coal in a year. At its height, it had 6,000 residents. As the coal mining industry died down and the mining industry was shut down due to safety in the 1990s, the future of Houtong Village was in question. However, by 2008 Houtong Started to reinvent itself as a cat paradise, with many cat loving citizens proposing to bring abandoned cats to the village for a better life. Since then, the town has been a hub for cat lovers and enthusiasts. The Ruisan Coal Preparation Plant opened in 2022 and offers free entrance to visitors. Due to many tourists visiting such a large population of cats, diseases have been known to spread around the village. Sometimes during an outbreak the village is closed to tourists. Volunteer groups often deliver vaccines and medications to the cats. However, it is best to not bring your own pets, wash your hands before and after touching animals, and do not touch the animals' faces and mouths. Hours: 24/7 Price: Free Tours: You can book a tour of Houtong and other nearby places with Klook here or KKday here. How to get there: By Train: Take the TRA train to Ruifang Station, and then switch to the Pingxi Railway line. It will be the first stop. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here. You can book tickets to the high speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here. You can also book a shuttle bus on KKDay here or Klook here. By Car/Scooter: Take national highway 2 to Ruifang, then turn left on Ruihou Raod until you reach the village. You can also drive from Jiufen or Jinguashi, which is less than a 10 minute ride. You can also charter a car for a day to Houtong Cat Village on Klook here. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. By Taxi: You can take short rides for about 150 NT, or hire a Taxi for a day for around 150 USD on Klook here. By Bus: You can also book tickets to travel to Ruifang via inter-city bus on Klook here. You can also book a Taipei Sightseeing: Hop On, Hop Off Open Top Bus on TripAdvisor here. By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan's many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a Sunset Riverside Bike Ride and Historical Tour, 4 Hour Cycling in Taipei, Ultimate 8-Hour Cycling City Tour, or Taipei City Bike Tour with Night Market Experience on TripAdvisor here. For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. Where to Stay Near Houtong Cat Village: We recommend Fullon Hotel which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). We have stayed at and recommend Gold Mountain Ranch, which is a horse ranch and glamping destination in Jinshan. You can book a night at Gold Mountain Ranch on Klook here. You can also check out our full blog on the ranch here. We have also stayed at and recommend Hai Xia Your Home which is right in front of Fulong Beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan. Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. Map: Please see below: Places we will cover in this blog: Houtong is a huge place with tons to explore in the area. We will cover these places near Houtong Station:
Our Journey: Please see below for an overview of Houtong Cat Village via drone footage: And check out our drone video below after the Ruisan Coal Preparation Plant was renovated in 2023:
See below for a 360 view we took in 2023.
I have been to Houtong Cat Village twice. I also once passed by it once while taking the train up the Pingxi Railway, but decided not to get off. That was a mistake. A Trip to Houtong is worth every minute you can spare. Unless you hate cats.
You can book a tour of Houtong and other nearby places with Klook here or KKday here. 
Map of the area.
If you come by car, don't forget there is free parking past the train station if the lot doesn't get full.
Houtong itself is separated by train tracks and the Keelung River, leaving two small strips of village on either side of the tracks. A large (formerly abandoned) Coal Dressing Plant rests near the station. The Ruisan Coal Preparation Plant opened in 2022 and offers free entrance to visitors.
We traveled to Houtong by car. Right off the bat from the parking lot we saw cats.
As you walk down the streets you will notice everything is cat related. Cat haters be warned.
All the cat paraphernalia you could ever want.
A noodle shop that surprisingly says nothing about cats.
Houtong Old Street 猴硐老街 
The main village square in front of the train station, which might be considered as Houtong Old Street. On either side of the square are restaurants, and one 7-11.
A young man strokes a cat. When we went there was a disease outbreak among the cats and they were considering closing the village. I read a news article that said you should not touch the cats, so I didn't. But that didn't stop anyone else from touching them.
Fresh noodles and fish ball soup from a local restaurant. It was pretty good.
Another restaurant nearby.
On our second trip, we also visited an ice shop on a hot summer day.
Cold noodles and chocolate banana ice.
View south toward the train tracks.
Another view looking at Houtong Station.
Inside Houtong Train Station, where a young man takes a photo of a cat on a bench.
Cats inside the tunnel bridge that goes over the train tracks.
Cat Village 貓村 
Once you get across the train tracks is where most of the cats and cat-themed stores can be found. The sign on the left says "Love is not abandoning your cats."
View of the bridge and eastern Houtong.
Cat-related shop with every kind of Zhaocaiamo (Money-welcoming cat 招財貓),
Cat resting on a table in the village.
More cat touchers!
A cafe near the top of the village.
A cat overlooking her kingdom. Not long after taking this, the owner of the cat came and scolded it, telling it that staying there was too dangerous.
A young man pets a herd of cats.
Cat feeders!
Not a few steps away you can buy cat food to feed to the cats...and they wonder why these diseases spread.
Another cat resting on a chair.
Another cat-related shop.
Cat resting next to the bridge.
Houtong Coal Mine Ecological Park 猴硐煤礦博物園區 
To the east of the village you can visit some museums and coal mining ruins, including the vision hall pictured above, which was converted from the original Coal Dressing Plant's Warehouse.
Vision Hall (Former warehouse of Ruisan Coal Preparation Plant) 願景館 (原瑞三選煤廠倉庫) 
"Establishment of the Coal Preparation Plant"
"Keelung Coal Mining Co. Ltd, was established in 1918 by Yen Yun-Nien, a leading Taiwanese Mining magnate, and Japan's Mitsui trading company, to develop the rich coalfields in the Houtong area. In the spring of 1920, Taiwan's first coal sorting machine house and first three-level bridge were constructed on the banks of the Keeling River, just east of the Houtong Railway Station. The coal preparation facility's main building was a three-story structure; the first goods elevator was installed on the east side of the building. Towards the end of 1920, the installation in the facility of two sets of coal sorting equipment, powered by electronic motors, began. These systems were capable of sorting 500 tons of coals per day. Installation was completed in March 1922. This was the origin of the facilities that would later come to be known as the Jui-San Coal Preparation Plant and Coal Transportation Bridge. "During the era of Japanese rule, the Jui-San Coal Preparation Plant was called the "Houtong Coal Sorting Plant." In 1934, Lae Chien-Hsing established Jiu-San Mining Co. Ltd., to undertake the operation of the Houtong coal mines and related facilities as a contractor. In 1945, when Taiwan was returned to the Republic of China following the end of World War Two, Jui-Sui Mining took over as the owner of the Houtong Mines, and the Houtong Coals Sorting Plant was renamed the Jui San Coal Preparation Plant. From its initial establishment to the final closure of the Houtong mines, the Coal Preparation Plant was in use for 70 years, during the period of peak production, it was the largest coal preparation plant in Taiwan, with the largest and best coal sorting plant." 
Photos of mining life in Houtong.
Miniature of what the original coal preparation plant looked like.
"Waste Water and Pollution"
"Jui-San Minininf Co. Ltd. adopted measures to combat waste water and air pollution. Installation of waste water treatment equipment was completed in 1978 and 1979 respectively." 
"The Coal Dressing Plant's Warehouse: Vision Hall"
As delivery of trains of the Taiwan Railways Administration were able to stop at the front gate of the coal dressing plant's warehouse, externally purchased machinery and equipment that were used both in and out of the mine pits were first delivered and stored here at the warehouse before they were taken to their designated locations by tramcars. The main function of the structure was to serve as a warehouse which supplies all the necessary materials for daily operations and maintenance needs required by the coal dressing plant and the coal transportation facilities. The coal dressing plant's warehouse was constructed slightly later than the coal mine office. It has now been designated as a historical building." Ruisan Coal Preparation Plant 瑞三鑛業整煤廠 
The Ruisan Coal Preparation Plant opened in 2022 and offers free entrance to visitors. It acted as a processing plant for coal mined nearby, refining the coal and getting rid of undesirable grades of coal, as well as sifting out rocks, dirt, sand etc.
Rusted machinery at the entrance of the facility.
Equipment used by miners.
Old stone and brickwork inside the old factory.
Freight elevator motor.
View of the equipment on the second floor.
View from the third floor of the old conveyor belt below.
Another view from the third floor.
Another view of the third floor. they used a lot of wood in this restoration, to make it look exactly the way it did during the Japanese times. It is really very impressive. But you can understand why the old wooden one would rot away in this wet subtropical climate.
View from the third floor looking downstream at part of the building that was not restored.
You can more of the restored building in the gallery above. There are a lot of photos up there.
Coal Mining Relics 煤礦遺跡 
Below are some photos and descriptions from when we visited the coal preparation plant before it was restored.
Right next to the vision hall you can see the ruins of the coal preparation plant, which is now fenced up. The original wooden roof has long since rotted away. 
Four railways ran under these entrances, transporting coal to the railroad.
A small child plays with a cat.
Broken motors sit and rust in the open air.
Abandoned and rusted parts sit in a mangle under the structure.
A mangle of wood and rusted metal.
View of the coal preparation factory from above.
Closeup of the rubble.
See above for a video of people and cats together at the Coal Mine Ecological Park.
People and cats living in harmony.
Another photo from the same area.
Cats are everywhere.
There is a bridge that connected directly from a coal mine to the coal dressing plant, which you can still walk across.
The way to the bridge is up the stairs on the side of the coal preparation plant here.
Original train tracks on display.
Also a great place to take a selfie. You can also push the carts here for fun.
View looking south up the Keelung River from the bridge.
View looking north down the Keelung River.
Houtong Pit Mining Leisure Park 猴硐礦坑休閒園區 
Across the river, you can take a 30-minute train for a ride inside one of the original mine tunnels, for 150 NT per person.
The ticket booth sits right next to the mine.
One of the trains coming near the entrance of the mine "Houtong Mine."
View of another train of people coming back.
The train goes through the old mining tunnel, which also acts as a museum. There are many artifacts and displays inside the tunnel, and the train moves really slow.
Finally coming into the daylight.
The train then stops outside and then everyone gets out.
Here you can practice jackhammering rocks like in the video above.
You can also play on a human powered cart.
The train then loops into the forest and comes back to the beginning.
You can see another video of the train tunnel above.
There are two giant cats in the parking lot near the train.
They also have a store here near the old Ruisan coal administrative building (瑞三鑛業大樓).
You can see more photos of the train ride in the gallery above. There are a lot of photos to see.
Photos of the coal dressing plant before the area was restored.
Before I left, I saw this car in front of the station which made me laugh.
Wishing bamboo sticks rotting next to the train tracks. You can find these all over the Pingxi Railway line. These are symbolic because the word for wish (zhu4 祝）is similar to the word for bamboo （zhu3 竹). You can write your wishes on a bamboo stick too, which is much more environmentally friendly than lighting off those floating lanterns!
A train leaves the station.
You can see more photos near Houtong Station in the gallery above.
Houtong Miner's Culture & History Museum 猴硐礦工文史館 
If you go further down the road along the train tracks, you can make it to the Houtong Miner's Culture & History Museum.
Another train passing by.
This is as far as we went, to the Ruisan Mine. Then it started to rain so we left.
I think this building is a small museum.
There are some more houses here on the hillside.
Even further down, there is a trail to the old Ruisan Miner's Dormitory (瑞三內寮仔舊礦工宿舍), pictured above, which is now abandoned.
Another random mine we saw on the side of the road. There is so much to explore out here.
And even further down, you can make it to Sandiaoling Station, the only train station in Taiwan that is not connected to any road.
You can book a tour of Houtong and other nearby places with Klook here or KKday here. Places we missed: Houtong is a huge place with tons to explore in the area. We missed the following places but hope to capture them on another visit:
Don't forget that there are many activities available around Pingxi such as Rock Climbing, Hiking, kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, SUP / paddle boarding, water biking, Diving, River Tracing / Canyoneering, ATVing, Horse Riding, Cooking Class, photo shoot, Jingtong Sky Lantern Police Station, Shifen Sky Lantern Experience, Waterfall Zipline, Waterfall Diving, and more on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. Thanks for reading! For our full guide to the Pingxi Railway, click here. Check out our guide to the best day trips from Taipei here. Also be sure to check out our guide to Taipei here. You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.
2 Comments
Ray Hung
8/28/2023 12:03:50 am
It’s really a good article for foreign people to acknowledge Taiwan. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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Author 作家I am an American expat who has extensive experience living, working, and traveling in Taiwan. In my day, I had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But I have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. This blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. I am just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Categories
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