Bo'ai Road_Hankou Street_Camera Street

The Camera Street around Bo'ai Road and Hankou Street, commonly known as the “Bohan Area,” is home to the highest concentration of camera equipment stores in Taiwan. This camera street has witnessed the development of photography equipment in Taiwan. From the late Qing Dynasty to the early Japanese colonial period, after photographic technology was introduced to Taiwan, cameras were always expensive items that most people could rarely afford. A single camera was a luxury item that could only be acquired by trading a house or over a thousand Taiwanese catties (jin) of white rice. At that time, there were numerous government agencies and media outlets within “Taipei City,” coupled with its proximity to the conveniently located Taipei Main Station, so camera equipment stores gradually flourished due to these customers. After “Rollei,” a store specializing in large format German Rollei film cameras, opened opposite the Taipei Post Office in 1958, other photography equipment stores like Xingfu and Yuzhou on Hankou Street, and Rongmei and Yongsheng on Bo'ai Road, also opened one after another. In recent years, nearly 50 camera stores have established roots here, offering a comprehensive selection of brands and accessories. With the changing times, cameras are no longer expensive luxuries; digital cameras are now commonplace. To find a good camera, this is definitely the place to come. The old stores' commitment to professionalism naturally attracts discerning customers.