Double Happiness was launched in Hong Kong in 1906 by Nanyang Brothers Tobacco Company, and has been one of the most influential cigarette brands in China.

In its early days it was known as Happydays in English, but its Chinese name, which means literally "Red Double Happiness", has never changed.

"A person who wanted to buy a bicycle in the early 1980s often had to obtain a ration coupon from his unit, and in such a situation it often made sense to hand the individual responsible for issuing coupons a carton of Double Happiness cigarettes and a couple bottles of erguotou baijiu (white liquor)" wrote Andrew Wedeman, in his book Double Paradox: Rapid Growth and Rising Corruption in China.

In 2009, Chinese legislators decided that "tobacco consumption had led to an increase in rampant corruption" and drafted a bill that would make it illegal for government officials to accept cigarettes as gifts.

[6][7][8] In May 2015, it was reported that Double Happiness is specifically targeted towards the growing numbers of Chinese tourists and diaspora and is sold in more and more duty-free shops around the world.