Dent & Co. or Dent's was one of the wealthiest British merchant firms, or hongs, active in China during the 19th century. A direct rival to Jardine, Matheson & Co, together with Russell & Co., these t
Dent building, c. 1858
Dent Building in Central waterfront, c. 1869
Dent Building (left) and the first generation Jardine House (right), with Pedder Street Clock Tower in the background. 1886 photograph by Lai Afong.
The history of opium in China began with the use of opium for medicinal purposes during the Tang dynasty in the 7th century. In the 17th century the practice of mixing opium with tobacco for smoking s
Storage of opium at a British East India Company warehouse in India
Opium smokers c1880 by Lai Afong.
Chinese opium smokers c. 1858
Opium smokers in an illegal den, Beijing (1932)