After the Qing Dynasty seized power at that time, in order to consolidate its rule, it required The Han people to change to Manchu costumes and hats, and also issued a shaving order, requiring the Han people to shave into the Manchu hairstyle, that is, to tie braids. If the Han Chinese insisted on not wanting to be rehabilitated and shaved their heads, they were also directly executed or exiled to the frontier. But ancient life was not so convenient, braids are not easy to take care of, how dirty are the braids of Qing Dynasty men?
During the Qing Dynasty, an English missionary named Myrod came to China, learned a few simple Chinese and then began to travel all over China, recording the living conditions of people at that time in addition to preaching. In particular, he described the foot binding of women and the braids of men. In order to fit in with the environment, he also began to grow long hair and tie braids. The final conclusion is that this stuff is too uncomfortable!
He didn't understand that a Qing man who dragged long braids all his life, and often did not wash them, was really disgusting, and in his original words, even some people's braids would emit a rotten smell, and even rats would not want to come near. According to Myrod's records, only the rich have full-time shaving masters, often trimming their new hair that has just grown on the top of their heads, and there will be people to help clean them.
Some royal children are more particular, and will put some petals or Chinese herbs to add fragrance to the hair when washing their hair. But most of the poor may wash their hair by the way when bathing in the river throughout the year, that is, in the summer, and at other times they will not take the braids apart at all, and when this kind of cleaning in annual units, the scene is naturally not difficult to imagine, which will comb out a lot of dander, bugs and dirt, and the smell is also imaginable.