Chambers, William: A Dissertation On Oriental Gardening (London: Griffin [u.a.], 1773)

Besidesthese separate habitations, in which the ladies
are privately visited by the patron, as often as he is
disposed to see them, and be particular, there are, in
other larger recesses of the thickets, more splendid and
spacious buildings, where the women all meet at certain
hours of the day, either to eat at the public tables, to
drink their tea, to converse^ bathe, swim, work, romp,
or to play at the mora, and other games known in China;
or else to divert the patron with music, Tinging, lascivious
posture-dancing, and affing plays or pantomimes: at all
which they generally are very expert
✓
Some of these strudures are entirely open ; the roof
being supported on columns of rose-wood, or cedar, with
bases of Corean jasper, and crystal of Chang-chew-fu;
or upon wooden pillars, made in imitation of bamboo,
and plantane-trees, surrounded with garlands of fruit
and ssowers, artfully carved, being painted and varniflied
in proper colours. Others are enclosed; and consist
sometimes only of one spacious hall, and sometimes of
many different sized rooms, of various forms; as triangles,