Houtong Cat Bridge

Anchor point

Updates : 2025-12-11

5157

Google Rating : 4.4 Score

Travel tips

Explore nearby attractions including Houtong Cat Village, Ruisan Coal Preparation Plant, and Houtong Coal Mine Ecological Park
Meet adorable cats up close inside the cat bridge
View the cat-shaped bridge from the cat village looking back toward the station

Introduction

Originally built in 1970 by Taiwan Railways, Houtong Cat Bridge served as an overpass for residents of the Chetouding settlement in Guangfu Village to access Houtong Station. After Houtong gained fame as a "cat village" in 2009, visitor numbers surged. People used this station overpass to travel between the cat village and coal mine park. Following resident complaints about the aging, narrow structure, the New Taipei City Government decided to reconstruct it.

A bridge design celebrating cat village character
Planning for the "Houtong Train Station Cat Village Overpass" reconstruction began in 2012. Incorporating resident feedback and cat village themes, the design merged local elements—coal mining heritage, cats, and tunnel imagery—to create the distinctively styled "Cat Bridge." Inside, visitors find cat footprints, photographs, and illustrations, plus platforms designed specifically for cats to traverse and leap upon. The bridge's exterior resembles a playful cat spanning the space between station and village.

A Houtong landmark for people and cats alike
In 2013, Houtong Cat Bridge received the Public Construction Golden Quality Award, becoming one of Houtong Cat Village's signature landmarks. After a decade of exposure to Houtong's humid climate, some bridge components showed rust and deterioration. The Tourism and Travel Department, New Taipei City Government conducted repairs, reinforcing structural elements, replacing steel beams and painted aluminum panels, treating rust, upgrading interior lighting, and restoring cat platforms and seating. The bridge reopened in March 2025.

How to Get There

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