26. July 2026

Few companies commissioned commercial illustration as consistently or as successfully during Republican China as Huacheng Tobacco Co. (華成煙草公司). Until 1949, it published over 16,500 ads in China’s most influential newspaper – the Shenbao. The company’s origins trace back to 1917, but it was following its reorganization in 1924 under Chen Chuxiang (陳楚湘), that the company rapidly expanded its product portfolio, beginning with The Rat (金鼠) and its most well-known brand -...