Most Western writers of novels with a Chinese setting lavishly describe pigtails, bound feet, opium smoking, and the like and even concoct absurdities of their own invention to pique the reader's interest.
一般以西洋讀者為對象的中國小說，無不汲汲摹繪中國男子的豬髮辮（pigtail），女子的三寸金蓮，以及蓄妾、抽鴉片等「奇風異俗」，尤有甚者，更不惜故意捏造雜奇荒誕的情節來吸引讀者。