On the slopes above Houtong’s famous cat village, this free open-air park preserves what was once Taiwan’s most productive coal mine. The Ruisan operation ran from the 1930s until 1990; today you can walk among the coal-transport bridge, the old preparation plant, Japanese-era ruins and a historical trail for real “old Taiwan” texture.
On the slopes above Houtong’s famous cat village, this free open-air park preserves what was once Taiwan’s most productive coal mine. The Ruisan operation ran from the 1930s until 1990; today you can walk among the coal-transport bridge, the old preparation plant, Japanese-era ruins and a historical trail for real “old Taiwan” texture.
Updated June 20, 2026
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Highlights亮點If you’re already visiting Houtong for the cats, the coal-mine heritage side makes the trip feel richer. It adds historical context and clarifies the town’s identity — you see why this place existed long before it became famous online.
It’s a good fit for travellers who like small heritage stops and “old Taiwan” texture without committing to an all-day museum plan, and it’s free to enter. There’s an honesty to the place that the cat village can’t quite match: this was a hard industrial settlement, and the surviving structures still carry the weight of the work that happened here.
The mine began operating in 1930 and was taken over by the Ruisan Mining Company in 1934. Thanks to its scale and long working life, more coal was extracted here than from any other mine in Taiwan — the workings ran roughly six kilometres long and up to half a kilometre deep, threaded with hundreds of kilometres of narrow-gauge track. Both men and women worked underground (women until 1963), and the mine finally closed in 1990.
To revive the site, the New Taipei City Government invested around NT$200 million over five years to restore the mining-area factories and facilities into the ecological park you can visit today. The coal that left Houtong helped power Taiwan’s railways and early industry, so in a real sense the town’s output is part of the foundation of the modern country — a context that makes the quiet ruins more affecting than they first appear.
The park strings together the surviving infrastructure of a coal town: the coal-transport bridge spanning the river, the Ruisan coal-preparation (washing) plant, the remains of a Japanese-era shrine, and the Jinzibei (Jinzipai) historical trail, with Houtong Station itself part of the scene. Walking between them, you get a clear picture of how coal moved from tunnel to railway.
Interpretive displays and restored buildings explain the daily reality of mining life — the long shifts, the dangers, and the close-knit community that grew up around the pit. Pause on the transport bridge for the classic view back over the river and the old plant; it’s one of the most photogenic spots in the area and helps you read the whole layout at a glance.
Keep the plan light: one or two stops in the area, then head back to Taipei for dinner. The goal is a gentle day, not a marathon. Because Houtong sits on the Yilan railway line near the junction for the Pingxi branch, it slots neatly into a wider Pingxi-line outing if you start early and keep an eye on train times.
Quick answers to common planning questions.
Official pages and references for planning details.
Hand-picked next reads to make your Taipei plan smoother.
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Tip: hours, prices, and seasonal schedules can change. When something matters (like a museum ticket or a special exhibition), check the official listing before you go.