Houtong (猴硐) and Sandiaoling (三貂嶺) are neighboring stops on the railway up the Keelung River valley, in Ruifang District, New Taipei City, east of Taipei. Houtong was a coal-mining town and is now known as the cat village, with the mining relics still standing beside the station. One stop on, Sandiaoling has a waterfall trail, and between the two the city has turned an old railway tunnel into a walking and cycling route. Both are an easy train ride from Taipei, with no change needed.
- Train Taipei Main Station to Houtong, 46 to 76 minutes and NT$83 on a direct local train
- Where Ruifang District, New Taipei City (the tunnel reaches into Shuangxi District)
- Best for Cats, mining history, waterfalls, an easy bike ride
- Time A half day for Houtong, a full day with the waterfalls or the tunnel
How to get to Houtong and Sandiaoling from Taipei
Direct train
Take a Taiwan Railway local train from Taipei Main Station toward Yilan, Su'ao or Fulong. On the weekday timetable we checked, about one direct train an hour stopped at both stations. To Houtong (猴硐) it took 46 to 76 minutes, most about 55, for NT$83; to Sandiaoling (三貂嶺) it took 57 to 87 minutes for NT$89. Local trains take your EasyCard. The last direct train back from Houtong to Taipei left at 22:23 that day.
Via Ruifang
If a direct train isn't due, take any train to Ruifang (瑞芳) and change. Pingxi Line trains from Ruifang call at Houtong (about 6 minutes) and Sandiaoling (about 10 minutes) on their way up the valley, so between the two kinds of train there were usually two departures an hour from Ruifang to Houtong. Houtong to Sandiaoling is one stop, 3 or 4 minutes, NT$22.
Good to know: Sandiaoling Station has no road. You arrive and leave by train, and the walk to the waterfall trail follows a path beside the tracks. Stay on the path and off the rails.
What to see in Houtong
Houtong Cat Village (猴硐貓村)
The cat village is the old mining settlement beside Houtong Station, reached over the tracks by the Cat Bridge. It began when a cat lover started a volunteer effort to look after the village cats and improve the neighborhood, and word spread online. Today the lanes have cat murals, cat walkways, a water station for the cats and a cat cafe. It is open all year.
The village cats are cared for by residents and volunteers, and people live here, so keep your voice down. New Taipei City's Animal Protection Office asks visitors to follow its five friendly-cat rules:
- Don't feed the cats casually. Volunteers feed them at set times and places, and extra snacks and meat paste can harm their health, so there is no need to bring food.
- Don't make loud noises or chase the cats. Greet them softly or sit nearby for a photo, and don't force contact or pick them up, which can frighten them and lead to scratches.
- Keep litter off the ground.
- Don't take a cat away. Adoption goes through the Cat Office.
- Never abandon a pet here. It is against the law.
The Cat Bridge (猴硐貓橋)
The cat-shaped footbridge from the station is how you reach the village. It began as an overpass Taiwan Railway built in 1970 for the villagers, was redesigned as a cat around 2013, and reopened in March 2025 after repairs. It is open 24 hours.
Houtong Cat Office (猴硐貓公所)
The village's cat center, in a renovated railway dormitory, registers and microchips the cats, runs neutering and medical care, and has an adoption corner. Since 1 February 2026 it has been run for the city by an animal welfare group (台灣防止虐待動物協會). It is a good first stop to learn about the cats.
- Where: No. 345, Chailiao Road, Ruifang District.
- Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00, per the city's February 2026 announcement. The city's tourism site lists shorter hours, so check before a special trip.
Houtong Coal Mine Ecological Park (猴硐煤礦博物園區)
Coal was Houtong's living, and the park ties together what is left of it around the station: the coal transport bridge, the old coal preparation plant, the remains of a Japanese shrine and the Jinzibei historic trail. Walk across Fuxing Bridge for the old diesel locomotive shed, a mine entrance and the miners' dormitory, and look for the miner's lunchbox and snacks sold around the station.
- Where: No. 42, Chailiao Road, Ruifang District, by Houtong Station.
- Hours: the city's tourism site lists 08:00 to 18:00 daily.
Ruisan Coal Preparation Plant (瑞三礦業整煤廠)
The big plant by the river is where coal was sorted and washed before it went out by rail. It closed in 1990 and, after a three-year restoration, now holds an exhibition on the mining industry with multimedia displays.
- Hours: 09:00 to 18:00.
- Closed: the first Monday of each month (the next day if that Monday is a national holiday). The next closures are 2 November and 7 December 2026.
- Entry: the city's page doesn't list a fee, so check on arrival.
What to see in Sandiaoling
Sandiaoling Waterfall Trail (三貂嶺瀑布步道)
A 2.71-kilometer trail up the upper Keelung River past three tiers of waterfalls, with cliffs and potholes along the way. Hegu Waterfall (合谷瀑布) comes first and is the biggest, with an upper drop of about 25 meters and a lower drop of about 15. After a rope suspension bridge come Motian Waterfall (摩天瀑布, also called Yuemeidong) and Pipadong Waterfall (枇杷洞瀑布), which are joined. Pipadong is the turnaround point; the trail does go on to Dahua Potholes and Dahua Station on the Pingxi Line, if you want to walk on and catch the train there. New Taipei City rates it as not very difficult, with a varied path.
- Getting there: from Sandiaoling Station, follow the path beside the tracks to the former Shuoren Elementary School. The trailhead is at the school gate.
- Status: the city's attraction page (updated July 2026) lists the trail as open all year, and it was not on the city's trail-closure list of 16 October 2026. Check that list before you go, especially after heavy rain or a typhoon.
- Closed: the railway bridge between Shuoren Elementary School and the Shuoren Village parking lot is closed to pedestrians, so come by train.
- Bees and wasps: the city warns there may be swarms on the trail. If you meet one, leave the area quickly.
Sandiaoling Eco-friendly Tunnel (三貂嶺生態友善隧道)
The old Sandiaoling Tunnel carried the Yilan Line between Mudan and Sandiaoling until a new tunnel replaced it in 1985. It is a New Taipei historic building, and in 2022 the city reopened it as a walking and cycling route of about 3.2 kilometers through forest, past small waterfalls, old bridges and smaller tunnels. Inside, you can still see soot from the steam trains. It runs both ways between two entrances: Mudan Street in Shuangxi District, and Housan Road in Ruifang District.
- Booking: required for everyone, children and seniors included, through the official reservation site. Slots are one hour, from 08:30, with 160 places each. Booking opens 14 days ahead at noon, there is no standby, and if you have no booking you should not go.
- Entry: free. The city warns against buying tickets from anyone.
- Hours: 08:30 to 16:30, last entry 16:00.
- Closed: every Tuesday (except during long holiday weekends), and on days the government closes offices and schools for weather.
- Guided tours: free at 09:00 and 14:00 from the Mudan rest station. Tick the box when you book.
- Getting there: the official site says to use Houtong or Mudan station, not Sandiaoling, which has no path out to the tunnel. Houtong to Mudan (牡丹) is about 8 minutes by train. YouBike 2.0 stations are at Mudan Station, Houtong Station and beside Jinzi Bridge.
- Rules: bring a light if you cycle (without one you walk), and walk your bike on the marked section near the Sanguazi Tunnel. E-bikes and motorized vehicles aren't allowed, and nor are pets, drones, slippers or high heels (the floor is an open grate).
- Access: the official site says the terrain is hard going for wheelchairs and people with limited mobility, and suggests bringing someone to help.
A plan for the day
- Morning: tunnel or waterfalls. With a tunnel booking, ride to Mudan or Houtong for your slot. For the waterfalls, ride to Sandiaoling and start early, while you have the most daylight.
- Afternoon in Houtong. Cross the Cat Bridge to the village, then the coal preparation plant and the mining relics by the station.
- Home, or on up the valley. Take a direct train back to Taipei, or a Pingxi Line train up to Shifen, about 15 minutes from Sandiaoling. → The Pingxi Line and Shifen
Timing tips
- Go Wednesday to Sunday. The tunnel closes on Tuesdays, the Cat Office on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the coal plant on the first Monday of the month.
- Book the tunnel early if you want a weekend slot: booking opens 14 days ahead at noon.
- Check the next train each time you get off. Direct trains are about an hour apart.
- Bring rain gear. This is the wet northeast, and trails and the tunnel close for typhoons. → Best time to visit Taipei
Jiufen is also reached through Ruifang. → Jiufen and Jinguashi · All day trips
Sources
Train times and fares from Taiwan Railway's timetable search (Wednesday 4 November 2026). Houtong, the cat village, the coal park and the miner's lunchbox from New Taipei City's tourism site (Houtong Cat Village, 猴硐貓村, Houtong Coal Mine Ecological Park, Ruisan Coal Preparation Plant, Cat Bridge, Cat Office). The friendly-cat rules, the Cat Office's operator and hours from the New Taipei City Government's February 2026 announcement, confirmed by UDN. The waterfall trail from New Taipei City's attraction page and trail itinerary, and its status from the city's trail-closure list (updated 16 October 2026). The tunnel's history, booking rules, hours, tours, stations and YouBike from the official reservation site, and its rules from New Taipei City's attraction page; the soot from the city's 2023 news release. Checked October 2026.