Hide & Seek, China’s City Cats
躲猫猫（中国）
Photographs by Marcel Heijnen
攝影師：马奕修
Published by ZIWU Culture, Modern Media
出版社：现代传播有限公司出版·誌屋文化
200 pages, 300+ color plates, 30 x 22.5 cm, Hard cover
200頁, 30 x 22.5 厘米, 精装
Simplified Chinese only
簡體中文
ISBN: 978-988-17972-0-9
After the viral success of Hong Kong Shop Cats a decade ago, a long-awaited sequel has finally been published—this time turning the lens toward China’s urban felines. Blue Lotus Gallery is proud to present Hide & Seek, China’s City Cats (躲猫猫), a new series by Dutch photographer Marcel Heijnen. Comprising a comprehensive China edition alongside three city-specific volumes, the brandnew 4 books mark the culmination of Heijnen’s enduring fascination with the feline inhabitants who navigate the ever-shifting landscapes of China’s major cities.
Since 2016, Marcel Heijnen has traversed nearly twenty Chinese cities, documenting the lived-in reality of Hong Kong’s traditional trade districts, the communal courtyards of Shanghai’s shikumen, and the enduring residential pockets of Guangzhou. Rather than seeing these spaces as mere relics, Heijnen portrays them as active, functioning ecosystems in which cats are integral to the social fabric. His lens documents these felines as the "kings and queens" of their domains: ancestral halls, active construction sites, and the small-scale retail hubs that form the backbone of local neighbourhoods.
Photographer’s Statement
Cats are, of course, the protagonists of these images. Yet at times, these furry little creatures also serve as “icebreakers” that anchor a scene — giving me a reason to smile at shop owners and exchange a few words before pressing the shutter. In China, such an opening often leads to a warm invitation: “Come, sit down and have a cup of tea.” In this way, those fleeting moments continue to live vividly beyond the frame.
穿梭在中國大街小巷的馬奕修，始終在捕捉街頭巷尾的貓影。那些忽閃而過、與他對視的瞬間，彷彿向他訴說著關於城市與人之間千絲萬縷的故事。自2015年在香港開始，馬奕修尋貓的足跡已遍佈中國數十個城市。這些貓棲身於寺廟、宗祠、工地與街頭等城市空間的一隅，宛如各自領地中的國王與皇后。由於貓咪行蹤難測，他不得不反覆回訪同一地點；也正因這份不確定，讓他感覺自己正進行著一場「躲貓貓」的遊戲。
這本書邀請讀者一起玩「躲貓貓」——在畫面中尋找貓的身影，為閱讀增添趣味與互動性。
本書分為三個章節：「在一起」呈現人與貓之間的互動關係；「在」聚焦於貓自身的形態；「一起在」則將貓放回其所處的空間之中。同時，我們也邀請詩人談炯程為這組生動的照片寫下詩行，在簡潔的文字裡勾連圖像背後更深層的情感，使文字與影像彼此映照、相互完成。他拍攝的不僅是貓，更是牽引出的城市變遷中的文化傳統、快節奏生活裡的慢時光、尚未被科技物化的人情冷暖，以及多數人早已遺忘的「家的附近」。
攝影師自述
貓咪自然是這些影像的主角。但有時，這些毛茸茸的小生靈也像是凝住風景的「破冰者」——讓我有理由向店主微笑致意，在按下快門前寒暄幾句。在中國，這樣的開場白往往會換來熱情的邀請：「來，坐下喝杯茶吧。」讓那些瞬間在底片之外繼續鮮活地延伸。
Hide & Seek, China’s City Cats
躲猫猫（中国）
Photographs by Marcel Heijnen
攝影師：马奕修
Published by ZIWU Culture, Modern Media
出版社：现代传播有限公司出版·誌屋文化
200 pages, 300+ color plates, 30 x 22.5 cm, Hard cover
200頁, 30 x 22.5 厘米, 精装
Simplified Chinese only
簡體中文
ISBN: 978-988-17972-0-9
After the viral success of Hong Kong Shop Cats a decade ago, a long-awaited sequel has finally been published—this time turning the lens toward China’s urban felines. Blue Lotus Gallery is proud to present Hide & Seek, China’s City Cats (躲猫猫), a new series by Dutch photographer Marcel Heijnen. Comprising a comprehensive China edition alongside three city-specific volumes, the brandnew 4 books mark the culmination of Heijnen’s enduring fascination with the feline inhabitants who navigate the ever-shifting landscapes of China’s major cities.
Since 2016, Marcel Heijnen has traversed nearly twenty Chinese cities, documenting the lived-in reality of Hong Kong’s traditional trade districts, the communal courtyards of Shanghai’s shikumen, and the enduring residential pockets of Guangzhou. Rather than seeing these spaces as mere relics, Heijnen portrays them as active, functioning ecosystems in which cats are integral to the social fabric. His lens documents these felines as the "kings and queens" of their domains: ancestral halls, active construction sites, and the small-scale retail hubs that form the backbone of local neighbourhoods.
Photographer’s Statement
Cats are, of course, the protagonists of these images. Yet at times, these furry little creatures also serve as “icebreakers” that anchor a scene — giving me a reason to smile at shop owners and exchange a few words before pressing the shutter. In China, such an opening often leads to a warm invitation: “Come, sit down and have a cup of tea.” In this way, those fleeting moments continue to live vividly beyond the frame.
穿梭在中國大街小巷的馬奕修，始終在捕捉街頭巷尾的貓影。那些忽閃而過、與他對視的瞬間，彷彿向他訴說著關於城市與人之間千絲萬縷的故事。自2015年在香港開始，馬奕修尋貓的足跡已遍佈中國數十個城市。這些貓棲身於寺廟、宗祠、工地與街頭等城市空間的一隅，宛如各自領地中的國王與皇后。由於貓咪行蹤難測，他不得不反覆回訪同一地點；也正因這份不確定，讓他感覺自己正進行著一場「躲貓貓」的遊戲。
這本書邀請讀者一起玩「躲貓貓」——在畫面中尋找貓的身影，為閱讀增添趣味與互動性。
本書分為三個章節：「在一起」呈現人與貓之間的互動關係；「在」聚焦於貓自身的形態；「一起在」則將貓放回其所處的空間之中。同時，我們也邀請詩人談炯程為這組生動的照片寫下詩行，在簡潔的文字裡勾連圖像背後更深層的情感，使文字與影像彼此映照、相互完成。他拍攝的不僅是貓，更是牽引出的城市變遷中的文化傳統、快節奏生活裡的慢時光、尚未被科技物化的人情冷暖，以及多數人早已遺忘的「家的附近」。
攝影師自述
貓咪自然是這些影像的主角。但有時，這些毛茸茸的小生靈也像是凝住風景的「破冰者」——讓我有理由向店主微笑致意，在按下快門前寒暄幾句。在中國，這樣的開場白往往會換來熱情的邀請：「來，坐下喝杯茶吧。」讓那些瞬間在底片之外繼續鮮活地延伸。
