The tale unfolds in China, a place as yet unknown and mysterious to Tintin. It looks like our hero may have bitten off more than he can chew as he takes on the task of wiping out the international opium trade, which has a vice-like grip on this beautiful country. With the assistance of the secret society Sons of the Dragon, and his friend Chang, Tintin succeeds in overcoming myriad obstacles to finally over his adversaries and disband their network of corruption.
Tintin travels to China in The Blue Lotus, a tale which is generally considered Herge's first masterpiece. It's also Tintin's only foray into actual history, specifically the Sino-Japanese conflicts of the early 1930s. The political tensions combined with the chilling threats of drugs give the story an especially high and realistic sense of danger. Herge's interest in China was spurred by a friendship with a young Chinese student named Chang Chong-chen, a relationship that Tintin mirrors with a Chinese boy also named Chang Chong-chen. Herge paints a vivid picture of China and takes the opportunity to denounce ethnic prejudicesmph over his adversaries and disband their network of corruption.
Thomson & Thompson, two bumbling detectives, go undercover dressed in outdated Chinese dress. They are so keen in their attempt to capture Tintin, whom they believe is involved in the drug trade. The trouble with the Thom(p)sons is that they are so noticeable when they are attempting to be inconspicuous. Hergé used the Thom(p)sons' disguises to poke some gentle fun at the simplistic views of far-off lands held by his contemporaries. People didn't travel much before the 1960's. A constant theme in Hergé's work is breaking down prejudices, using humour as a powerful weapon.