There is an old coal-mining town in Taiwan that saw its last prosperous days in the 1970s. Since the country’s railways were electrified and oil was preferred as a source of power the town went into decline and currently has only 200 residents.

It has recently however experienced a feline resurgence as it has now become home to a colony of feral cats and in turn this has become a tourist attraction and boosted the town’s economy.

Visitors have extolled the delights of the cat town in their own blogs and websites and this has brought people specifically to Houtong to play with the cats who wander freely along the streets and the abandoned structures. Volunteers care for the cats providing free veterinary care and cat food.

Local resident Sumarni, is grateful for the change in the town’s renown. "My 3-year-old daughter gets to play with some children of her age when visitors bring their kids here," she said. "There is really not any playmate of her age in the community."

Sumarni has set up a food stall next to her home to cater for the influx of tourists and another resident, Chan Bi-yun runs a stall selling cat-themed souvenirs.

Visitor Yu Li-hsin had come from Taipei to visit the cats. "It was more fun than I imagined," she said. "The cats were clean and totally unafraid of people. I'll definitely return."