For cat lovers, perhaps the remote cat islands in Japan are no longer strange. But have you heard of Huotong cat village in Taiwan yet? Let's explore this cute village today!
History of Huotong cat village
Huotong Cat Village is located in the hills of northern Taiwan , about 35km east of Taipei in the Ruifang district. It used to be a famous town rich in coal mining. During its prosperous years, this town provided the largest coal production in Taiwan with a capacity of about 220,000 tons of coal per year. This has attracted many immigrants to work, promoting the development of the town up to 900 households with a population of more than 6,000 people. When the coal mining industry began to decline in the 1990s, the region also declined. Young residents began to migrate in search of other opportunities, and eventually only a few hundred residents left.
However, things have started to get better since 2008, when a local cat lover named Peggy Chien organized volunteer sessions to provide new food and life to the abandoned cats here. . They posted pictures of cute cats online and attracted a large number of other cat lovers nationwide.
Soon, Houtong became an attractive destination for cat lovers. The village is growing and attracting more curious visitors to explore. It can be said that these lovely cats have revived the ruined village and turned it into an interesting tourist destination.
How to get to Huotong cat village
From Taipei Main Station, you need to take a train on the Yilan Line to the north to Ruifang Station. Then continue to buy a local train ticket to get to Houtong, One way train ticket is about $ 56. Alternatively, from Ruifang train station, you can cross the road to the bus stop and get on 808 or F808 to Houtong cat village . The cat village is usually open at 8:00 am and shops are closed around 6:00 pm.
Coming to Houtong, you will realize that the village is divided into two main areas. The other half of the terminal houses old coal processing hooks, restaurants, a visitor information center and a riverside walkway that leads to the residence of the old miners. A special black cat bridge is covered behind the station leading to the other side: Cat Village.
Discover the cuteness in Huotong cat village
The highlight of that village is the lovely super cats. It is estimated that there are more than 200 cats living in the village. You just need to step out of the house to see cuteness flooding the entrance. They lie in the sun in the middle of the road, sleep on the porch, stroll around the village, ... Every child is round and lovely and fat because they are very well fed by tourists. In addition, you can buy cat food sold at some shops in the village.
The cats in Houtong are very gentle and likable. Although they are often caressed and photographed by tourists, they do not appear to be uncomfortable but very approachable. Perhaps they are too used to lying still to be pampered, and even fed as much as they want.
But feeding cats here is not recommended because in fact they are already too fat. This can affect the health of cats, especially foods that aren't suitable for them. You should only give them two or three small cookies to show your love. And one more thing is that you should not use a cat flash photography because it will make them scared.
Let the baby eat less lest they will be obese
It is no exaggeration to say that Huotong is a paradise for cat lovers. Not only cats, the whole town is filled with cuteness because all are decorated with cat-related themes. On the walls, billboards, notice boards, shops, even toilets are also decorated with extremely cute cats.
You can easily see super funny cat statues standing along the road, cat prints on the street or cats waving at each store. Most stores also sell cat-shaped items such as cat toys with electronic rhythms, cat ear accessories, cat-shaped phone covers, cat-shaped socks, etc.
Surely all of this cuteness will drive you crazy. There is even a cat education and information center opened in 2014, featuring an elevated cat walkway on the front of the building.
It is this cuteness that has helped the tourism industry at Huotong Cat Village extremely develop. Shops, cafes and restaurants serve mushroom-like food to meet the needs of visitors who flock to it every weekend. You can easily enjoy the unique cuisine at the restaurants here such as noodles, bingsu, bread and sip a cup of coffee or fresh tea. Cafes are often concentrated in the area around the train station. After taking a good walk, remember to enjoy the food here before boarding and leaving.
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