Description
Book SynopsisIn China, both opium and alcohol were used for centuries in the pursuit of health and leisure while simultaneously linked to personal and social decline. The impact of these substances is undeniable, and the role they have played in Chinese social, cultural, and economic history is extremely complex.
In Intoxicating Manchuria, Norman Smith reveals how warlord rule, Japanese occupation, and political conflict affected local intoxicant industries. These industries flourished throughout the early twentieth century, even as a vigorous anti-intoxicant movement raged. Through the lens of popular Chinese media depictions of alcohol and opium, Smith analyzes how intoxicants and addiction were understood in this society, the role the Japanese occupation of Manchuria played in their portrayal, and the efforts made to reduce opium and alcohol consumption. This is the first English-language book-length study to focus on alcohol use in modern China and the first dealing with intox
Table of Contents
Introduction
1 Alcohol and Opium in China
2 Manchurian Context
3 Evaluating Alcohol
4 Selling Alcohol, Selling Modernity
5 Writing Intoxicant Consumption
6 The Hostess Scare
7 Reasoning Addiction, Taking the Cures
8 The Opium Monopoly’s “Interesting Discussion”
Conclusion
Glossary
Notes
Bibliography
Index
