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.It is a sequel to Cigars of the Pharaoh,with Tintin continuing his struggle against a major gang of drug smugglers.The story also highlights the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.The Blue Lotus is 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.
The title,Blue Lotus,refers to the name of an opium den,itself a reference to the blue lotus.