Houtong Cat Village Bridge Introduction
The Cat Bridge in Houtong was originally built in 1970 by Taiwan Railways as an overpass for the residents of Guangfu Village to access the Houtong Railway Station. Since Houtong gained fame as "Cat Village" in 2009, the number of visitors has surged. This overpass connects the Cat Village and the coal mine area. In response to residents' complaints about the old and narrow overpass, the New Taipei City Government decided to undertake its reconstruction. Starting in 2012, the project of "Houtong Railway Station Cat Village Overpass" was planned with a design that incorporated features of the Cat Village. Based on local residents' suggestions, it integrated elements related to coal mining, cats, and tunnel imagery, resulting in the uniquely shaped "Cat Bridge." The bridge has cat footprints, photos, and illustrations inside, and features a special jumping platform for cats. The bridge's design resembles a playful cat, spanning the area between the station and Cat Village. The Houtong Cat Bridge, a landmark that is shared by both people and cats, received a Golden Quality Award for Public Works in 2013, becoming one of the iconic symbols of Houtong Cat Village. Due to the humid climate in Houtong, after 10 years of operation, some parts of the bridge began to show signs of rust and deterioration. As a result, the New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department conducted repair work to reinforce the bridge structure, update the steel beams and painted aluminum plates, remove rust, improve interior lighting, and restore the cat jumping platform and seating. The bridge is scheduled to reopen in March 2025.
