Drugs, China, And the Curious Case of Dragon Pharmacy Knock-Offs

The Dragon City Pharmacy has become a cult favorite for Chinese visitors to Hong Kong, selling everything from medicines to mascara. Even so, the owners of this mom-and-pop business were bewildered when copycat drug stores bearing its brand began popping up across the city.

In recent years, outlets named after the 60-year-old store -- but with no affiliation -- have opened up alongside a slew of other tiny pharmacies in Hong Kong’s prime tourist districts, minutes away from the Louis Vuitton and Chanel stores that dot the town. Often decorated in rainbow neon lights, these smaller outlets advertise sales of tax-free medicines.