成都一咖啡馆引进鸭子当宠物 Coffee and quacks served up at Chengdu duck cafe

Crowds in a Chinese eatery ignore(忽视 hūshì) their drinks to gather adoringly around four fluffy white ducks(鸭子 yāzi), phones poised ready for pictures, at the latest addition to the country's growing list of popular animal cafes(咖啡馆 kāfēi guǎn).

This photo taken on August 29, 2019 shows a customer(顾客 gùkè) taking photos of a duck at Hey! Wego duck cafe in Chengdu in China's southwestern Sichuan province. [Photo: AFP/Pak YIU]

"Hey! We go", a business in the centre of the southwestern city of Chengdu, is proving perfect fodder for the social media-savvy generation.

The four call ducks -- a domesticated breed imported from Europe -- can retail(零售 língshòu) for the hefty price of 10,000 yuan ($1,400) per duck.

But the cafe's star attractions are not for sale(销售 xiāoshòu), and waddle around from table to table to the delight of customers.

This photo taken on August 29, 2019 shows a customer, posing for photos with a duck at Hey! Wego duck cafe in Chengdu in China's southwestern Sichuan province. [Photo: AFP/Pak YIU]

For 78 yuan, patrons can spend up to 90 minutes with the ducks, which appear unflustered as they are held up in front of cameras and smartphones for duck-selfies.

"They're really fun and very obedient -- not like those swimming ducks, they're not obedient," said customer BBQ Suen, a university student who said she came immediately to visit the cafe after reading about it online.

This photo taken on August 29, 2019 shows a woman touching(触摸 chùmō) a duck at Hey! Wego duck cafe in Chengdu in China's southwestern Sichuan province. [Photo: AFP/Pak YIU]

The 26-year-old Luo Yaochi co-founded the popular duck cafe with three others, and said the idea sparked when he recently raised his own pet(宠物 chǒngwù) duck.

"Everyone loves ducks," he said.

Visitors to the cafe can also spend time with the newest arrivals -- two miniature "teacup pigs", who are also residents of the cafe, and fit neatly inside a pink miniature shopping trolley.

Popular pets 常见宠物:

[gǒu] 狗 dogs
[māo] 猫 cats
[tùzi] 兔子 rabbits
[zhū] 猪 pigs
[yīngwǔ] 鹦鹉 parrots
[wūguī] 乌龟 turtles
[shé] 蛇 snakes
[yú] 鱼 fish
[qīngwā] 青蛙 frogs
[wōniú] 蜗牛 snails
[yāzi] 鸭子 ducks
[jī] 鸡 chickens