Most of the land where tobacco and maize used to grow lies fallow, taken over by wild vegetation.

"Nowadays smoking is considered evil, and we want to provide an oasis for smokers," said a board director of the 'Cafe Tobacco' shop operator Towa Food Service co.

Just outside of Mengzi, we passed a hulking compound of buildings fronted by an enormous statue of a charging bull, the symbol of both Hone He Prefecture and Hong He cigarettes.