London Opium den

drawing of opium smokers in opium den in london based on fictional accounts of day

victorian london s reputation centre of opium smoking based on belief of literary fiction on historical fact. london press, along popular british authors of day, fond of portraying london s limehouse district opium-drenched pit of danger , mystery. in fact, london s chinese population never exceeded low hundreds, in large contrast tens of thousands of chinese settled in north american chinatowns. in mid-1880s, chinatowns started form in london , liverpool grocery stores, eating houses, meeting places and, in east end, chinese street names. in 1891, census recorded 582 chinese-born residents in britain, though dropped 387 in 1896. 80% single males between 20 , 35, majority being seamen. companies began export opium india china, selling drug raise money buy shipments of tea. against law , angered china s authorities. in 1839, war broke out between britain , china on opium trade. britain defeated china , under terms of treaty of nanking in 1842, hong kong became british colony. in 1857, second opium war resulted in unequal treaties of tianjin included clause allowing britain , france recruit chinese british colonies, north america, south america, , australia cheap labour. however, britain did not recruit many workers north america, chinese employed on construction of transcontinental railroad, , many chinese immigrated in search of fortune during gold rush, chinese communities smaller in britain.the chinese immigrants london arrived in east london ports boat, such blue funnel line. of them seamen, , many have settled in few select streets. when jobs on docks , on boats dried up, many chinese turned other businesses, such restaurants or laundries.

in 1860s, dark england opium dens in london s east end described in popular press , books, various individuals , religious organisations began campaign against unrestricted opium trafficking. @ pennyfields there christian mission chinese , confucian temple. @ limehouse causeway there famous ah tack s lodging house. there prejudice against east end chinese community, of initiated writings of thomas burke , sax rohmer. both of these men wrote chinese community. burke , ward exaggerated chinese community s true size , made mention of gambling, opium dens, , unholy things in shadows. character charles dickens last novel, mystery of edwin drood (1870) sets scene: o poor head! makes pipes of old penny ink-bottles, ye see, deary – 1 – , fits-in mouthpiece, way, , takes mixter out of thimble little horn spoon; , fills, deary. ah, poor nerves!

rare photograph of 2 women outside ah sing s opium den london science museum

dickens famous portrayal , caricature of nineteenth-century london. significant has immortalised opium den in east london, identifying part of fabric-weave of victorian london. establishment run chinaman described in mystery of edwin drood, based on real opium den. run ah sing, or john johnston known clients, immigrant amoy in china. rare photographs of chinese opium scene in east london exist. photograph held @ science museum in london shows 2 chinese women outside ah sing s opium den. ah sing smoker himself , claimed had true secret of mixing opium ... eye business . secret evidently brought him success, den frequented local chinese sailors on break working on ships, others. of literary elite of time including arthur conan doyle (see man twisted lip ) , dickens himself visited area, although whether took pipe has remained undisclosed. ah sing s opium den famous of dens in victorian london, attracting gentlemen elite of london s high society.

in 1868, pharmacy act recognised dangerous drugs , limited sale registered chemists , pharmacists, until end of nineteenth century few doctors , scientists warned dangers of drug addiction. when small number of opium dens gradually declined in london, following crackdowns authorities, individuals ah sing forced move properties, , had find alternative ways of making living. in latter days, said continued smoke, despite finding religion. did manage give opium smoking, though days before died around 1890, aged 64. buried in bow cemetery.