Exquisite Images From A Real Life Cat Village In Taiwan

In the Ruifang District of New Taipei, Taiwan, lies an incredible village: the Houtong Cat Village. According to Sora News 24, "While Houtong is now known mostly as a tourist destination for cat lovers, it was once a much more industrial village. In fact, it used to be a mining town–though apparently the mines have closed in the last few decades. (…) Eventually, the number of cats grew enough to transform the dying village into a hot tourism destination."

This incredible cat village is truly a joy to see. We've written quite a bit about different paradises for cats, whether it's "Catstanbul", a cat beach in Sardinia, Italy, or a man who built a kitty theme park for his 22 rescue cats, turning his home into a cat-friendly paradise full of climbing structures, hideaways, and kitty cubbies. Wherever cats are ruling the world, we want to be there. That's why we're so pleased to show you some incredible photos of Houtong, the amazing Taiwanese cat village. Take a look:

Posted by Ellie Dunn

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The Houtong Cat Village is located next to the beautiful Keelung River. It's reputation as a "cat village" truly began in 2008.

According to Lonely Planet, "In 2008, local cat admirer Peggy Chien started posting photos of the village's efforts to look after stray cats; her pictures attracted visitors, volunteer help and more kitties. In little more than two years, Houtong, which is located 35km east of Taipei in Ruifang district, managed to reinvent itself as a complete cat village."

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"Today, the dilapidated mining town and the 100-odd felines that roam the streets are drawing thousands of tourists during weekends."

According to amusing planet, "Houtong residents are cashing in on the tourist influx by opening souvenir shops and selling cat-shaped pineapple pastries. Even the footbridge leading from the station's exit across the tracks to the hillside cat village has recently been beautified and given a distinct "cat-look," complete with ears at one end and a tail at the other."

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