The village has more cats than people, attracting tourists

According toDaily Mail,Once a coal mining area, Houtong residents began to leave as the industry declined. By the late 1990s, fewer than 100 people remained in Houtong.

However, this is a destination that attracts stray cats from all over. Around 2008, locals began sharing more stories about the village's stray cats on social media.

Since then, Houtong has suddenly become a "phenomenon", attracting animal-loving tourists.

Lonely Planet"There are currently more than 200 cats in Houtong. Thanks to that, the locals can sustain their lives by opening shops, cafes and restaurants to serve the influx of tourists every weekend," said Mr.

In Houtong, visitors are said to find all sorts of exotic cats. They are present throughout the village. In 2013, the village renovated a pedestrian bridge to allow cats to cross easily.

Houtong "Cat Village" is highly rated with 4.3/5 stars based on the opinions of more than 12,000 visitors onGoogle.

Chani Dominguez, a former visitor, described the village as "a cat lover's paradise on earth". Another visitor, Paul Hermansen, said: "Cat lovers will want to stay here all day."

Since it takes less than 1.5 hours by public transport from Taipei, Houtong has become a favorite day trip destination for both foreign tourists and residents of the surrounding areas.