The influx of furry friends helped rejuvenate the declining village
A cat in Houtung cat village in Taipei, 8 Jan, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lamtourism-boost-to-taiwan-village-as-feline-residents-revive-once-flourishing-mining-town/”>/HKFP.
This photo feature was written by Kyle Lam and originally tourism-boost-to-taiwan-village-as-feline-residents-revive-once-flourishing-mining-town/”>published in Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) on April 27, 2024. An edited version is published below as part of a content partnership agreement with HKFP.
A once-thriving coal mining town in Taiwan has reinvented itself as a tourist attraction and home to over 100 feline residents.
Houtong, in Ruifang — west of the capital Taipei — was originally called “monkey cave.” During the 20th century, the area led Taiwan’s coal production, with 220,000 tons clawed from the earth each year. It spurred a population boom peaking at around 6,000 people.
Tourists take pictures with a cat in Houtung cat village in Taipei, January 8, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lamtourism-boost-to-taiwan-village-as-feline-residents-revive-once-flourishing-mining-town/”>/HKFP. Used with permission.
But as in many coal towns, young residents emigrated as the industry faded in the 1990s, leaving fewer than…
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