Dadaocheng: Cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photo models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital's most historic quarters.
According to Focus Taiwan, a recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew over 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted both amateur and professional photographers.
"It's rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat," said Sabrina Hsu, who won the NT$10,000 (US$326) top prize in the second "Meow Pie" Photo Contest in late August. Her winning photo, titled Fortune Comes with You, shows "Money," a fluffy white cat, standing upright with paws raised beside his ginger brother "Cola," while their owner smiles in the background of his dried-goods shop.
Shop owner Ginseng Hsiao, who runs He-Shing Chinese Herbs and Groceries, said many Dihua Street merchants keep cats because warehouses of dried goods often attract rats. "When their numbers grew, I decided to take Money in," Hsiao said. "I saw the method working, so I later adopted Cola to help."
Hsiao said he sometimes rewards them with dried scallops from the store or special cans of tuna. While Cola has proven an effective rat hunter, he once went missing for 22 days, leaving staff "heartbroken," Hsiao said. Since then, he has fitted both cats with AirTags to prevent them from straying again.
Seeing the pair as his "sons," Hsiao said they have also transformed his business. Traditionally focused on Chinese herbs and dried goods for older customers, his store now attracts younger visitors who come to see the cats -- and often leave with dried fruit, teas or nuts. "Most customers who buy Chinese medicinal herbs are older," he said. "But after we got the cats, groups of younger people started coming in to see them and browse the products."
Other merchants have seen similar benefits. John Lee, president of century-old pastry brand Li Ting Xiang, said that in the past, passersby who found nothing of interest would simply walk away. "Now they often stop at the entrance or step inside, chatting with owners about cats while browsing the goods -- this naturally helps boost sales," Lee said.
Although Lee's shop has no cats, he launched a cat-themed product line five years ago. Sales have more than doubled in the past two years, a rise he partly attributes to exposure from contest entries. The craze, he said, began around five years ago when a local association partnered with photographer Erica Wu to promote cat photography tours, which grew in popularity.
Lee said most old streets in Taiwan have beautiful historic buildings, but what sets Dadaocheng apart is the culture inside them. "Visitors not only come to see the old streets and traditional culture, but also to meet the adorable cats," he said.
Top entries from the contest are on display through Sept. 14 at Olympus Plaza Taipei on Dihua Street. Shopkeepers generally welcome visitors photographing their feline companions, though Lee advised asking permission first. "Many owners are very accommodating -- some will even carry the cats over or offer dried scallops so you can feed them," he said.