Bound FeetFoot-binding started in the 10th century by a court dancer named Yao Niang. She danced for the Emperor Li Yu in lotus shoes. Wealthy women with money and time to fill took up foot binding.Soon after bound feet became a symbol of the wealthy and elite.
Women's feet were not longer than four feet long. Despite the pain, millions of Chinese women stood firm to stick to their tradition. Any woman who did not get their feet bounded were seen as not marriageable. The most desirable bride had a three-inch foot, known as a “golden lotus.” It was respectable to have four-inch feet—a silver lotus—but feet five inches or longer are iron lotuses. Foot binding was considered very fashionable but it was a very long and painful process. The process included getting the toenails clipped and getting the feet massaged. Then the toes except your big toe is bound flat to the sole of the foot. The arch of the foot is also strained. Finally silk stripes is wrapped around the foot and is changed every two days to prevent blood and pus from infecting the foot. |