Introduction:A European-style retro café located within the Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital has unexpectedly become a popular internet photo spot, attracting a large number of photography enthusiasts who gather to take pictures, disrupting the normal medical order. This article delves into why this café inside a hospital has become a photography hotspot, explores the features of its interior design and the reasons behind its popularity, and presents how the hospital and café management have responded to the phenomenon, as well as what measures they have taken to maintain a proper environment for patients.
Recently, the Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital has seen a surge in attention on social media due to a European-style retro café within its premises, becoming a favorite shooting location for many internet celebrities. The related topics have continued to gain traction. However, many visitors coming to the hospital for medical treatment have reported that these concentrated photo shoots have disrupted the normal order of the hospital, especially by occupying patient rest areas and public seating, sparking considerable complaints.
The café is situated inside the West Campus of the Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, and customers must first enter the hospital to reach it. Its unique European architectural façade complements the existing style of the hospital, and its standalone structure makes it an ideal scene for photography enthusiasts.In particular, the bench opposite the café has been highly praised by influencers as an extremely "photogenic" spot.
A quick search on social media platforms using relevant keywords reveals that this café inside the hospital has become a hot topic, with hashtags such as #ShanghaiFirstMaternityAndInfantHospitalWestCampus filled with various “photo tips” and check-in posts. Netizens have left comments such as: “Who would have thought a café inside a hospital could be this popular?”, “This style would fit right in Paris,” and “Not France, but a surprise inside a maternal and child health hospital in Shanghai.”
According to on-site observations, many photographers come equipped with professional gear, including reflectors, fill lights, tripods, and even full costume change setups, coordinating outfits and styling as if on a professional shoot. Some even choose to dress in formal wear and “wait” around the café area, hoping for the best lighting and angles. In addition, some online store model photos are also taken here as product display images.
Such a lively scene, however, has caused distress to many patients or accompanying family members seeking medical care. One citizen pointed out: “Hospitals should be quiet and orderly environments. The benches are meant for patients and their families to rest on, not as props for outsiders to take photos.” Others argue that Shanghai has many European-style buildings, and if the sole purpose is to capture a foreign atmosphere, there’s no need to shoot inside a hospital—such behavior instead affects the experience of those truly in need of medical services.
In response to this wave of check-in fever, the café manager said in a media interview that the café officially opened on January 10th of this year, with the original intention of serving medical staff, patients, and their families, providing them with a place to rest during long medical visits. The manager further explained that the café’s interior design was personally created by him and approved by the hospital, presenting an overall European retro style that harmonizes with the architectural character of the hospital.
Regarding the café becoming a popular spot for influencers, the manager admitted that recently, most visitors have come mainly for photography purposes, but overall business performance is average, and no specific complaints have been received yet. He emphasized: “Our primary clientele is patients. We do not encourage unnecessary photography activities and hope not to affect the normal operation of the hospital and the medical environment.”
As the incident sparked widespread discussion online, the Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital recently issued an official response. The hospital stated that after the comprehensive renovation of the West Campus, the improved environment has attracted some citizens to take photos. As a public maternity and pediatric specialty hospital, providing professional medical services, a good medical experience, and a comfortable environment has always been the hospital’s core objective.
The hospital further noted that in the future, based on its current management practicesit will strengthen on-site management, discouraging commercial photography, prolonged occupation of patient rest benches, and the use of large professional photography equipment such as fill lights, striving to ensure the normal conduct of medical activities and to provide a quieter and more comfortable environment for patients who truly need medical care.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
