While many books have focused on the production of opium and its political and economic importance, this is the first to consider the social and cultural implications of its consumption. The story begins in the mid-Ming dynasty, where it was a tribute from vassal states and used as an aphrodisiac in the Ming court. Collectively, the Chinese people of different classes and regions redefined a foreign way of recreation and developed a complex culture of consumption around its use. The book traces this transformation over a period of five hundred years, asking who introduced opium to China, how it spread across all sections of society, embraced by rich and poor alike as a culture and an institution. The book, which is accompanied by a fascinating collection of illustrations, will appeal to students and scholars of history, anthropology, sociology, political science, economics, and all those with an interest in China.