The Blue Lotus (Le Lotus bleu)
Cover of the English edition
Publisher	Casterman
Date	1936
Series	The Adventures of Tintin (Les aventures de Tintin)
Creative team
Writer(s)	Hergé
Artist(s)	Hergé
Original publication
Published in	Le Petit Vingtième
Date(s) of publication	August 9, 1934 - October 17, 1935
Language	French
ISBN	ISBN 2-203-00104-6
Translation
Publisher	Methuen
Date	1983
ISBN	ISBN 1-4052-0616-0
Translator(s)	Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper and Michael Turner
Chronology
Preceded by	Cigars of the Pharaoh, 1934
Followed by	The Broken Ear, 1937

The Blue Lotus (French: Le Lotus bleu), first published in 1936, is one of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums written and illustrated by Hergé featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero. Casterman is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics, specializing in Comic books and Children's literature. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Adventures of Tintin (Les Aventures de Tintin is a series of Comic strips created by Belgian artist Hergé, the pen name of Georges Remi Georges Prosper Remi ( May 22, 1907 - March 3, 1983) better known by the Pen name Hergé, was a Belgian Georges Prosper Remi ( May 22, 1907 - March 3, 1983) better known by the Pen name Hergé, was a Belgian Le Petit Vingtième ("The Little Twentieth" was the weekly youth supplement to the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle ("The Twentieth Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Methuen Publishing Ltd is a British Publishing house and publishes in the areas of Theatre and Drama. Cigars of the Pharaoh ( Les Cigares du pharaon) is one of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums written and illustrated Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Broken Ear ( French: L'Oreille cassée) is the sixth of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Adventures of Tintin (Les Aventures de Tintin is a series of Comic strips created by Belgian artist Hergé, the pen name of Georges Remi Georges Prosper Remi ( May 22, 1907 - March 3, 1983) better known by the Pen name Hergé, was a Belgian Tintin and Snowy (original French language names Tintin et Milou) a journalist and his canine companion are a pair of adventurers who travel around the It is a sequel to Cigars of the Pharaoh, with Tintin continuing his struggle against a major gang of drug smugglers. Cigars of the Pharaoh ( Les Cigares du pharaon) is one of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums written and illustrated He also becomes involved in the resistance to the Japanese invasion of China. The Second Sino-Japanese War ( July 7, 1937 to September 9, 1945) was a major war fought between the Republic of China and the The Blue Lotus is considered to be a pivotal work in Hergé's career, moving away from the stereotype and loosely connected stories and marking a new found commitment to geographical and cultural accuracy.

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Method change 3 Political turmoil 4 Publication history 5 Fictional countries 6 External links

Synopsis

In Cigars of the Pharaoh, Tintin pursued an international group of drug distributors through the Middle East and India. Cigars of the Pharaoh ( Les Cigares du pharaon) is one of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums written and illustrated The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country He managed to capture most of the cartel members, but not the mysterious leader, who fell down a ravine in the mountains. A cartel is a formal (explicit agreement among firms Cartels usually occur in an oligopolistic industry, where there is a small number of sellers and usually involve A ravine is a very small Valley, which is often the product of Streamcutting Erosion. Some time after these events, his body has still not been found. In order to unravel more of the network and stop the opium production at the source, Tintin travels to Shanghai, China, where he is awaited by the assassins of the opium consortium. Opium is a Narcotic formed from the Latex (ie sap released by lacerating (or "scoring" the immature seed pods of opium poppies ( Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

However, two attempts on Tintin's life are foiled by a young Chinese stranger who arranges to meet Tintin in a secluded area. Once Tintin arrives for their rendezvous, he discovers that the young man has been struck by Rajaijah juice, the poison of madness, used by the opium gang against their enemies.

While in Shanghai, Tintin meets Mitsuhirato, a Japanese businessman, who urges him to return to India and protect his friend the Maharajah of Gaipajama. Mitsuhirato (Japanese 蜜平等 or みつひらと is a character from The Adventures of Tintin series of classic Comic books drawn and written by For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

Tintin also defends a young Chinese boy from a Western businessman and racist bully, Gibbons, a friend of Dawson, the corrupt police chief of the Shanghai International Settlement. See also List of The Adventures of Tintin characters, for a complete list The supporting characters Hergé created for his series The Adventures See also List of The Adventures of Tintin characters, for a complete list The supporting characters Hergé created for his series The Adventures The Shanghai Municipal Council (工部局 literally "Works Department" from the standard English local government title of 'Board of works' was the governing body which administered Incensed, Gibbons and Dawson set about making life difficult for Tintin.

Having been persuaded by Mitsuhirato, Tintin is on his way back to India by ship when he is knocked unconscious and taken ashore along with Snowy. Tintin and Snowy (original French language names Tintin et Milou) a journalist and his canine companion are a pair of adventurers who travel around the He wakes up outside Shanghai, in the home of Wang Chen-Yee, the leader of a brotherhood called "The Sons of the Dragon" dedicated to the fight against opium. Wang Chen-Yee is a fictional character from The Adventures of Tintin series of classic Comic books drawn and written by Hergé. Wang's son is the young man who helped save him on two occasions, but is now insane. He goes about threatening to cut people's heads off with a sword (thinking it will "show them the way") and only his father's stern authority can keep him in check.

Wang also reveals that Mitsuhirato is their chief opponent: a Japanese secret agent and drug smuggler. The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku Tintin follows Mitsuhirato and sees him blowing up a railway line (this is based on the real-life Mukden Incident). On September 18, 1931, near Mukden (now Shenyang) in southern Manchuria, a section of railroad owned by Japan 's South Manchuria No one is killed and damage is minor, but the event is successfully portrayed by the Japanese government as a major Chinese terrorist incident and used as a pretext for a Japanese invasion of Manchuria. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion Manchuria ( Romanized Manchu: Manju,, Маньчжурия Mongolian: Манж is a historical name given to a vast geographic region in northeast

Having obtained a sample of the poison of madness, Tintin returns to Shanghai, which has now been occupied by the Japanese Army, and tries to make contact with Doctor Fan Hsi-Ying, an expert on insanity, who may be able to cure Wang's son. The Imperial Japanese Army ( IJA) ( Kyūjitai: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国陸軍 Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku However, Doctor Fan has been kidnapped by the opium gang, presumably to prevent him developing an antidote to the poison. A note left by the kidnappers demands ransom money which must be paid at an old temple in the city of Hukow.

After a brief period of imprisonment in Shanghai by the Japanese Army, Tintin escapes and rides a train to Hukow, but a flood washes the tracks, and all the passengers must disembark. The Imperial Japanese Army ( IJA) ( Kyūjitai: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国陸軍 Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku He rescues a young boy, Chang Chong-Chen, from drowning in the Yangtze River. Chang Chong-Chen (originally romanized as Tchang Chong-Chen in French, 張仲仁 Zhāng Zhòngrén in Chinese characters) is a fictional character They become fast friends, and Chang rescues Tintin from the Thompsons who had reluctantly arrested him under orders from Dawson (who is collaborating with Mitsuhirato to capture Tintin). Thomson and Thompson ( Dupond et Dupont) are a pair of detectives in Hergé 's classic European comic strip The Adventures They later travel to the area where the ransom money is to be left, and are able to confirm that Doctor Fan has been kidnapped on Mitsuhirato's orders.

Tintin and Chang return to Shanghai, but Wang and his family are kidnapped by Mitsuhirato. In order to find them, Tintin travels to the Shanghai docks and hides in one of the barrels being unloaded from an opium ship. But it turns out that he was seen, and when he emerges he is confronted by Mitsuhirato armed with a gun, and soon finds himself a prisoner alongside Wang. Then the boss of the opium cartel is revealed to be the film producer Rastapopoulos (see Cigars of the Pharaoh for back story). A cartel is a formal (explicit agreement among firms Cartels usually occur in an oligopolistic industry, where there is a small number of sellers and usually involve Roberto Rastapopoulos (Greek Ροβέρτος Ρασταπόπουλος) is a fictional character in The Adventures of Tintin series of Comic books Cigars of the Pharaoh ( Les Cigares du pharaon) is one of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums written and illustrated Tintin is incredulous that a man he had thought to be a friend could be the gang leader until Rastapopoulos reveals the tattoo of Kih-Oskh on his forearm. Fortunately, the Sons of the Dragon, who had previously overpowered Mitsuhirato's thugs and had hidden in the other barrels (as planned by Tintin), reveal themselves, and force Mitsuhirato and Rastapopoulos to surrender. With Rastapopoulos arrested, the drug ring is finally brought down, and Mitsuhirato commits seppuku. is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by Disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for Samurai. The ensuing political fallout over his involvement with the cartel and Japanese espionage leads to Japan's withdrawal from the League of Nations. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920

The title, Blue Lotus, refers to the name of an opium den, itself a reference to the blue lotus. Nelumbo nucifera is known by a number of common names including Indian lotus, sacred lotus, bean of India, and sacred water-lily

Method change

Up to the writing of The Blue Lotus, Hergé's writing was mainly based on popular prejudice and on what his mentor, the abbot Norbert Wallez, had told him about Socialism, the Soviet Union, Belgian colonies in Africa or the United States, which was depicted as a nation of gangsters and cowboys and Indians of the sort found in Hollywood movies (though Hergé does sympathise with the Indians in the way they are forced off their land). The word abbot, meaning Father, is a title given to the head of a Monastery in various traditions including Christianity. Abbé Norbert Wallez ( October 19, 1882 - September 24, 1952) was a Belgian priest and journalist Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 This article is about a type of political territory For other uses see Colony (disambiguation. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

As Tintin was published in Le Petit Vingtième, a newspaper supplement, and Hergé announced at the end of Cigars that his next setting would be China. Le Petit Vingtième ("The Little Twentieth" was the weekly youth supplement to the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle ("The Twentieth Father Gosset, chaplain to the Chinese students at the University of Leuven, wrote to Hergé urging him to be sensitive about what he wrote about China, being afraid his Chinese students could be over-sensitive about any perceived criticism of China. Hergé agreed, and in the spring of 1934 Gosset introduced him to Zhang Chongren/Chang Ch'ung-jen (known to Hergé as 'Chang Chong-chen'), a young sculpture student at the Brussels Académie des Beaux-Arts. Zhang Chongren ( born Xujiahui 1907 died Paris, 8 October 1998 was a Chinese artist and sculptor best remembered in Europe as the friend The Académie des Beaux-Arts (Academy of Fine Arts is a French Learned society. The two young artists quickly became close friends, and Zhang introduced Hergé to Chinese culture, and the techniques of Chinese art. The Culture of China (traditional Chinese 中國文化 simplified Chinese 中国文化 is home to one of the world's oldest and most complex Civilizations covering a history Chinese art ( Chinese: 中國藝術/中国艺术 has varied throughout its ancient history, divided into periods by the ruling Dynasties of China and changing

As a result of this experience, Hergé would strive in The Blue Lotus, and in subsequent Tintin adventures, to be meticulously accurate in depicting the places which Tintin visited by painstakingly researching all his topics. When his UK publisher complained that The Black Island depicted an old-fashioned England, Hergé sent Bob de Moor to Britain to redraw anything that was no longer accurate, resulting in huge changes to the album. The Black Island ( French: L'Île Noire) is the seventh of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip Bob de Moor is the Pen name of Robert Frans Marie De Moor ( Antwerp, December 20, 1925 - Brussels, August 26, This new-found commitment to accuracy would become a Hergé trademark.

As a token of appreciation, he added a fictional "Chang" ("Tchang" in French) to The Blue Lotus, a young Chinese boy who meets and befriends Tintin. Hergé lets Tintin explain to Chang that Chang's fear for the 'white devils' is based on prejudice and Chinese racism. He then recites a few Western stereotypes of the Chinese, confuting them.

Political turmoil

As another result of his friendship with Zhang (Chang), Hergé became increasing aware of the problems of colonialism, in particular the Japanese Empire's advances into China. See Colony and Colonization for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Tintin also rescues a Chinese boy from a racist bully Gibbons, who was a good friend of Dawson, the corrupt Police chief of the Shanghai International Settlement. The Shanghai Municipal Council (工部局 literally "Works Department" from the standard English local government title of 'Board of works' was the governing body which administered

Tintin is a direct witness to the South Manchurian railway incident (Mukden incident), Japan's pretext to occupy the province of Manchuria from China. The was a company founded in the Empire of Japan in 1906 after the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905 and operated within China in the Japanese-controlled South Manchuria On September 18, 1931, near Mukden (now Shenyang) in southern Manchuria, a section of railroad owned by Japan 's South Manchuria The Japanese and some European characters are portrayed in a negative light, and their cartoon forms are somewhat racist. The Japanese, including the character of Mitsuhirato and Japanese soldiers are shown with beaming teeth while the Chinese are shown as tight-lipped. Mitsuhirato (Japanese 蜜平等 or みつひらと is a character from The Adventures of Tintin series of classic Comic books drawn and written by As a result it drew sharp criticism from various parties, including a protest by Japanese diplomats to the Belgian Foreign Ministry. However, the passage of time has since vindicated Hergé's criticism of Japan's occupation.

The Republic of China was so pleased with the album that its leader at the time, Chiang Kai-shek, invited Hergé for a visit. REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Chiang Kai-shek ( POJ: Chiúⁿ Kài-se̍k Jyutping: zoeng2gaai3sek6 GCB ( October 31, 1887 &ndash However, because of objections to the implied ideology of Tintin, the People's Republic of China forbade the publication of the album for a long time. See http//enwikipediaorg/wiki/WikipediaFootnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the tags and the template below Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES It finally allowed publication in 1984, but some controversial items were changed. For example the words 抵制日貨, dǐ zhì rì huò, "Down with Japanese products!" was changed to 大吉路, dà jí lù, "Great Luck road".

Publication history

This adventure was originally published under the name Tintin en Extrême-Orient (literally "Tintin in the Far East").

The original version of The Blue Lotus was published in black-and-white in Le Petit Vingtième in 1934. Le Petit Vingtième ("The Little Twentieth" was the weekly youth supplement to the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle ("The Twentieth It was later redrawn and colourised in 1946.

Many scenes that appeared in the original 1934 version were left out in 1946. They included:

• The fakir who performs tricks with glass and daggers and reads Tintin's palm is named as Cipacalouvishni.

• As the fakir warns him of the dangers to come, Tintin looks visibly more nervous in the 1934 version than in 1946.

• After firing the dart into the neck of the Chinese man at the Maharaja's palace, the fakir from Cigars of the Pharaoh can be seen hurrying away through the jungle. See also List of The Adventures of Tintin characters, for a complete list The supporting characters Hergé created for his series The Adventures

• Tintin then tells the Maharaja that he will not leave for China until he knows the fakir is back in custody. They later receive a telegram announcing his recapture. Tintin, who has lost Snowy, decides to leave without him (these decisions were changed in later versions).

• When Tintin is jailed after bumping into a Sikh policeman, Dawson sends three tough men in to beat him up. Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. In the original version they are British soldiers, from England, Ireland and Scotland. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Instead of Tintin, it is they who end up in hospital where an official pays tribute for their "sacrifice in the defence of their ideals" ! In 1946 the white soldiers are replaced by Indians. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

• While watching a newsreel in a cinema, Tintin sees footage of Sir Malcolm Campbell breaking the world land speed record in his high-powered Bluebird car. Sir Malcolm Campbell ( 11 March 1885 &ndash 31 December 1948) was an English racing motorist and motoring journalist

• While searching the cellar of the Blue Lotus, Tintin opens a door and he and Chang come face-to-face with yet another gangster. Tintin tells Chang to follow his example, raise his arms and put down his gun. When the gangster bends down to pick up the guns, Tintin slams the door onto him, knocking him out. Chang then ties him up with rope.

Fictional countries

The Blue Lotus mentions two fictional countries, the first of several in the Tintin books. However, while fictional countries such as Syldavia play major recurring roles in other stories, the two nations mentioned in The Blue Lotus are not referred to again in the series. Overview Syldavia is a Monarchy, ruled at the time of the King Ottokar's Sceptre story by King Muskar XII.

• Pilchardanian Republic: A European Republic, which resembles the pre-World War II French Third Republic. A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The French Third Republic (in French, La Troisième République, sometimes written as La IIIe It was mentioned during a newsreel, when Tintin hides in a movie theater. A newsreel is a Documentary film that is regularly released in a public presentation place containing filmed News stories
• Mitsuhirato and his men capture a man they believe to be Tintin wearing a huge fake beard and wig. However it turns out to be genuine hair and beard: the man is in fact the consul for Poldavia.

External links

• The Blue Lotus at Tintinologist. org

---

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic