None Spared! Famous Mianxian Shop 'Dongfa Hao' Flooded with 1-Star Reviews Over Political Signatures, Paints Over Shen Bo-yang and Chiang Wan-an's Autographs

Dongfa Hao, a well-known mianxian stall in Taipei’s Raohe Night Market, invited Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Bo-yang to sign its wall on the 4th. However, it was discovered that the shop had deliberately covered incumbent Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s signature—written four years prior—with a menu, sparking intense online backlash. The image quickly went viral, triggering a fierce battle between supporters, resulting in a flood of irrational one-star negative reviews on the shop’s Google page.

Under mounting public pressure, the business swiftly painted over both Chiang Wan-an’s and Shen Bo-yang’s signatures with white paint on the afternoon of the 5th, hoping to distance itself from political interference and restore normal operations.

Following the incident, Shen Bo-yang urged Chiang Wan-an to call on his supporters to stop harassing the shop. However, netizens sharply criticized him, saying, “You’re the last person who should say that,” pointing out that during last year’s large-scale recall campaign and the ‘Green Bird’ protests, Shen never intervened when activists targeted businesses that remained neutral or opposed recalls, creating so-called 'grassland maps' to boycott shops and even photographing random passersby as suspects.

The KMT camp called on its supporters not to emulate such confrontational tactics, which have alienated ordinary citizens. Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin stated, “I disagree but respect,” expressing personal disapproval of the shop’s actions but affirming it as the owner’s right to decide. She emphasized that wishing others well and respecting livelihoods matters more than political posturing.

This incident highlights how small businesses caught in political crossfires can become instant targets of online outrage. It also reflects growing public fatigue toward politicized social movements and underscores the need for restraint from all political actors moving forward.