镜花缘

By 李汝珍 (c. 1763–c. 1830), a scholar of phonetics, in 100 chapters. In the first half the disgraced scholar 唐敖 sails abroad with his brother-in-law and visits lands such as the Country of Gentlemen, 君子国, where sellers ask for less and buyers insist on paying more. In the second half a hundred talented women sit an examination held by Empress 武则天.

The title comes from 镜花水月 'flowers in a mirror, the moon in water', things you can see but never hold. In the Country of Women, 女儿国, the roles are reversed and the merchant 林之洋 is made to have his feet bound.