We have a similar place in Taiwan that only became a "Cat Town" as recently as 2008, when one lady just kept adopting cats. Doing so basically "saved" a dying m

We have a similar place in Taiwan that only became a "Cat Town" as recently as 2008, when one lady just kept adopting cats. Doing so basically "saved" a dying mining town by turning it into a must-see tourist destination on the way to Jiufen, another "must-see" tourist destination. For certain definitions of saved, of course. Jiufen (another former mining town) seems to be getting a bit overwhelmed, but Houtong infrastructure has been rapidly expanding to handle it and the locals seem to be ok with it.