The Curious Case of Houtong Cat Village in Taiwan

May 22, 2018 | 0 comments

A Little Side Trip From Taipei With Kitty Cats – And a Mystery Shrouding the Village’s History

Recently on my latest Taiwan trip, I came across Houtong Cat Village 侯硐貓村 in Ruifang District, just northeast of Taipei about 35 kilometers and just 1 hour away from Taipei Main Station by train.

After a few days spent sightseeing in Taipei, I decided it was time for a leisure side trip. I wasn’t looking for a full-day trip away from Taipei. Because I also wanted to drop by various locations to explore along the way.

So I googled for some must-see places to visit in Taiwan that were at least an hour away from Taipei and found Houtong Cat Village. A village with lots of cats. Say no more. I’m there.

Anyone who knows me knows I love cats. I adore them to death and have three cuddly fur balls back home in Thailand. I even created an Instagram account for my feline rascals named Cats of Sai Mai (<– Note: shameless plug to get more followers on my cats’ Instagram account) so I couldn’t pass on the chance of being in the pleasant company of cats again.

Houtong Cat Village – Or is It Monkey Station?

I can’t read Chinese so while I was doing research for this blog post I wanted to add the Chinese translation of Houtong Cat Village which is this “侯硐貓村” (as listed on google maps) to my blog. You know me, I like to be thorough with my travel blog posts like a good blogger should be.

But the thing is the actual railway station name for the village has this name “猴硐車站” which translates to Monkey Station. Hmm, monkeys and cats, this could get interesting.

But alas, there’s not a single monkey in this village. At least not anymore. When Japan took control of Taiwan in the late 1890s a coal mining industry was started in this village after it was discovered to be rich in coal deposits. There’s even a retired coal mining cave named after monkeys that is a converted tourist attraction today.

It doesn’t matter which name you prefer to call it, Houtong Cat Village or Monkey Station either one will get you here as this is the only village in Taiwan famous for a sizable cat population outnumbering village residents.

The Best Map of Houtong Cat Village (in English)

Most of the maps were in Chinese but I found the only map of the village in English. I wish I had found it earlier during my visit. Because there were a few points of interest I missed out on.

However, one thing I want to point out is that there are slight inconsistencies like the Ruey San Coal Dressing Plant. It doesn’t look like the illustration at all.

Granted the entire cat village is not a huge place as you can see on the map. You can find billboard maps at certain points inside the railway station and Houtong Square. But those maps are only in Chinese.

I missed out on the visitor center as I didn’t even know it was there. I found the tourist information center and thought it was the same. Just my opinion but I think they should move the visitor center next to the tourist information center so everyone can find it easily.

So What Happened to the Monkeys?

My theory is since humans have such a propensity to be enormous a-holes the monkeys were forcefully displaced or hunted due to the prospering coal industry. I can imagine that the monkeys were looked upon as a nuisance and were getting in the way of day-to-day mining operations.

I mean, if monkeys lived inside the cave I wouldn’t be surprised at all if a couple of wrenches, hard hats and perhaps coal miners’ lunches went missing oftentimes.

Or maybe the monkeys got scared and fled deep into the mountains after watching 6000 humans move into their neighborhood to work the mines and support the industry.

But Ruifang District’s coal mining stopped operating in the early 1990s and with the downfall of the coal industry, the town population dwindled to less than 100 people as unemployed residents left in search of jobs elsewhere. Yet still no monkeys in sight.

But this isn’t the mystery I’m looking to solve…

But First, Here’s a Look at Houtong Cat Village

Houtong Cat Village opens at 8:00 am and the shops close around 6:00 pm. I arrived at the village in the afternoon and since it was early April the weather was cool and at times windy. It was cloudy which added an extra chill in the air. You can hear the wind blowing on my video’s audio.

There are not a lot of cats on this side of the town which is west of the Keelung River while I was there. At the end of the video, you’ll see the entrance of Monkey Cave. You can only get inside with a guided tour. More details about Monkey Cave are below.

To find more cats you have to cross the futuristic-looking cat bridge opposite Monkey Cave. This area is where what’s left of the local population lives. And the locals are active in caring for the cats.

I wish I made a video of this part of town but I was too busy playing with the cats. One of the moments as a blogger I wish I had three arms. Oh well, this just means I have to add this to my list the next time I’m back in Taiwan.

How Many Cats Are in Houtong Cat Village?

Hard for me to say since I was only there for about 3 hours. Cats sleep most of the afternoon time and have nocturnal traits. But they are active during mornings and evenings which is the conventional wisdom offered by cat behaviorists.

But I can tell you it’s best to keep your expectations down. I honestly thought I’d find a boatload of cats all lined up in a row everywhere waiting to greet me with purrs while curling under my feet.

If you ask me about cat behaviors I can tell you this, cats are awake and sleep whatever time they damn please on their own accord. If I recall correctly I came across 15 different cats. And I am sure there are more around somewhere. It’s a big village with plenty of hiding spaces for kitty.

It’s just that it was chilly in the morning and even though the afternoon warmed up a little when the clouds cleared the cats were still snoozing in or keeping warm somewhere.

While searching online for Houtong’s cat population number I came across this article stating 200 cats. Another article stated that 80% to 90% of the cat population was neutered and spayed.

At Houtong Station there’s this poster board lined up with cat photos. But I only counted 80 cats and none of them were kittens.

Which leads me to think will there be another generation of cats to bolster the current cat population?

So the next time I go back to Houtong Village I’d like to find out what the official number is closer to.

But first, there’s a mystery to solve and it starts with finding out who Peggy Chien, the woman who single-handedly revitalized the village of Houtong is…

Houtong Cat Village – How They Get Famous So Fast?

As curious as a cat (pun intended) I was trying to find out how Houtong became a village famous for its cats in a decade.

Online research pointed me to a Taiwanese photographer named Peggy Chien (a.k.a. Chien Pei-ling) who started it all with her Flickr account.

Long story short Peggy’s numerous cat photos in Houtong Village piqued the curiosity of cat-loving Taiwanese people. Eventually, the world matter of fact as her series of cat photos was reportedly seen on Flickr with 800 million views.

That’s an insane number of views. Even for cats if you think about it.

There’s not even a mention in National Geographic’s article about Taiwan’s famous cat village Peggy Chien.

This is the best information I could find about Peggy here. And many other news sources scraped the same article about her to the point I don’t even know where the article originated.

And those articles are the only sources I could base my research on for this blog post.

Coincidentally Peggy’s husband is a veterinarian and along with a group of volunteers in 2007 they all traveled to Huotong and systematically neutered, spayed, and vaccinated most of the feline population.

With plenty of healthy cats roaming around and thousands of eager visitors waiting to play with kitties, Houtong grew into a village that hosted cat lovers worldwide with cat cafés and shops crammed with cat-themed souvenirs.

Just like that a new tourist industry and the attraction were born. That’s the short history version of course but that’s how this village of kitties in Taiwan came to be such a popular day trip from Taipei.

The Real Mystery of Houtong Cat Village

I wanted to add a photo of Peggy to my blog and as adept as I am with this internet thingie I can’t locate one photo of her. There’s no luck finding the actual Peggy Chien (also her alias) of Houtong Village’s claim to fame on Facebook and Instagram.

We all know how easy it is to find people these days on both social media platforms especially if there’s notoriety attached to a name. And reportedly she published several books featuring the cats of Houtong Village too.

Granted maybe she doesn’t have a Facebook account. But she’s reportedly a photographer by trade. If so the least she would have is an Instagram account, right?

I mean look, even my cats have their own Facebook page here. (<– Note: look, another shameless attempt to get more likes! Might as well click the link and follow my cat’s FB page and be done with it)

Also, I couldn’t even find one book title she published. Or her Flickr account with the 800 million views that started it all. Not even a photo of herself in Houtong Village doing what she does best. Mysterious indeed don’t you think? (cue X-Files theme song)…

Back to the Cat Village

But I digress. I suppose it doesn’t matter. What matters is that a wonderful little village has been given a second life with thousands of visitors coming in on weekends to have a chance to enjoy the company of cats and breathe the fresh mountain air.

The denizens of Houtong averted the possibility of their village becoming a ghost town. There’s a good uplifting story in there no matter how you look at it.

Maybe even a Hollywood movie will be made one day where they’ll cast Scarlett Johansson to play Peggy Chien. Have you seen Ghost in the Shell?

Peggy if you’re out there they should make you the Mayor of Houtong Cat Village.

Chances are if you’re in Houtong Cat Village you’re also going to want to check out Monkey Cave. It’s connected to the Ruey San Coal Transportation Bridge over the Keelung River.

Assuming you’ve successfully maneuvered past all the folks taking selfies. This bridge is a great spot to get a magnificent 360 view of the mountains surrounding the village.

I haven’t been all over Taiwan yet but after spending a little bit of time on this bridge overlooking the Keelung River and viewing the mountains with thick lush green trees and plants one can’t help but think “Wow Taiwan is really beautiful”.

Monkey Cave

This is the only attraction in Huatong Village with an entrance fee. An adult ticket cost NT$150 and if I recall correctly NT$100 for children. I think it’s worth it and the money funnels back into the village so why not?

You and a group of tourists ride a toy train through a short section of tunnels. Eventually, there will be an open area where everyone gets off. The tour guide/toy train operator only spoke Chinese.

He explained the history of Monkey Cave the daily lives of coal miners that lived in the village and how they worked. I can’t understand Mandarin Chinese but I’m pretty sure that’s everything he said.

Maybe if I could understand Mandarin Chinese I would’ve learned what happened to the monkeys.

After the explanation, visitors stay in the area for about 15 to 20 minutes where they can put on hard hats and handle pneumatic drills and push around wheel barrels. The perfect time for obligatory snapshots and selfies.

It’s the one time in your life you get to play pretend you’re a coal miner. If you’re traveling with kids I think they will enjoy this part of the tour.

After visiting this side of the Keelung River it was time for me to head to the other side of the village where it is said you can find even more cats.

Remember, the Keelung River splits the village in two so all I had to do was make my wake back across the bridge through the railway station and walk across the cat bridge.

From the Monkey Cave entrance to the cat bridge is a short 15-minute walk. This village isn’t all that big. Which is why you probably won’t need to stay here the entire day.

I remember as I was making my way across the village the sun started to peak out and the wind died down. With luck, more cats will come out to warm themselves and soak up the sun.

Off to the Other Side of the Village, I Go

On this side of Houtong, you’ll see it’s the main residential section of the village. Some of the residents have converted their dwellings into cafés and some sell souvenirs and food outside of their homes.

But you’ll also see evidence of collapsed homes and some that fell into disrepair. I was quickly reminded that Houtong Village once had a population of around 6000 people when the coal mining industry was booming.

I could see there were more cats in this section of the village. This makes sense because there are locals in this part of town with a ready supply of kitty kibble to feed hungry feline residents. Most of them looked feral however and don’t let humans too near them.

And because the clouds cleared you can see a handful of cats sunning themselves after a chilly start in the morning. Cats wearing collars were more friendly and playful most likely because they’re used to being around people.

The Rules of Huatong Village Cat Club

You can tell the residents of the village value the feline population that shares space with them. All the cats I’ve seen look well-fed and cared for.

Some I saw lived indoors with residents but every single cat was coming and going minding their businesses. But almost everywhere I saw have cat shelters placed all over. It’ll be difficult to find a homeless cat in Houtong that’s for sure.

There are even rules posted throughout the area such as:

• Do not scare the cats or chase them
• Do not feed the cats inferior food
• Do not use flash photography on the kitty

And there are rules to protect the village property and personal health like:

• Do not leave leftover food
• Wash hands after playing with cats
• Pick up garbage and keep all areas clean

How to Get to Houtong Cat Village from Taipei

What I did was take a northbound train to Ruifang. Train fare cost NT$56 one way at Taipei Main Station. You can purchase tickets from automated vending machines but there are no English instructions.

However, station workers are wearing a yellow vest that can speak English and they can assist you with purchasing the right ticket and direct you to the correct platform.

Make sure you don’t lose your ticket because there will be a station attendant waiting to collect your ticket near the station exit. If you lose your ticket they will make you clean every single litter box in the station.

Spending two to three hours in Houtong Cat Village is sufficient enough. Additionally, you can also visit nearby Shifen Old Street 十分老街 with its scenic waterfall.

Plus the old gold mining town of Jiufen 九份 also another historic district in Taiwan (I’ll have blog posts about both areas soon) to make a complete day trip from Taipei.

The next time I return to Houtong Cat Village I’m going to make sure I don’t go there on weekends. Because the Riufang train route is very popular with visiting tourists and locals making stops at Huatong, Shifen, and Jiufen. It’s better off visit on weekdays to avoid crowds.

The Takeaway

If you’re looking for a nice little side trip from Taipei and have a soft spot for cats you should come visit Houtong Cat Village. The landscape surrounding the village is breathtaking and if you visit there during the summer the view is even better.

But I certainly enjoyed my time there even though the temperature started chilly.

If you’re traveling with children this will be a fun outing for them. All the kids I saw looked like they were having a good time.

Whether by chance or design, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. And this is a place that I would certainly visit again when I’m back in Taiwan.

If you need some information about visiting Houtong Cat Village or if you know anything about Peggy Chien so that I may update this blog post, please drop a comment below.