The Social Life of Opium in China

The history of Opium in China begins in the mid-Ming dynasty, when as a tribute from vassal states, it was initially used as an aphrodisiac in the Ming court. The Chinese then began to collectively redefine the foreign recreational resource's usage and created a complex culture around its comsumption. This book traces the transformation over a period of five hundred years, revealing the nature of Opium's introduction and development in China as a universal cultural institution.

Author: Zheng Yangwen
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 10/17/2005
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 9.00h x 5.90w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9780521608565

Review Citation(s):
Choice 07/01/2006 pg. 2053

About the Author
Yangwen, Zheng: - Zheng Yangwen is a Research Fellow at the Asia Research Institute of the National University of Singapore. She received her PhD from Cambridge University in 2001.