Foot binding was an ancient Chinese practice to make girls’ feet as small as possible, starting between the ages of three and ten. The process involved breaking toes and binding them tightly to form a triangular shape. Tiny feet were seen as an indication of status and femininity. The practice was outlawed in 1911, but some families continued it by tradition and pride. The last factory producing “lotus shoes” closed in the late 1990s due to lack of demand.
In most contexts, the term “feet binding” describes the ancient Chinese practice of binding girls’ feet to make them as small as possible. The practice is believed to have originated in the 1100s and persisted well into the 20th century. It is not thought to occur in modern China, although the women who have endured the process are still alive today. In most cases, the bond began between a girl’s third and tenth birthday. Her toes were broken and bound back towards the ball of her foot, and her arch flattened to form a triangular shape. Tiny feet were seen as an indication of status and in many cases served to make a girl marryable. It is also thought in many places to have shown her and her family’s dedication to Confucian ideals of culture, character, and gender roles.
Process
The process itself is often considered a bit gruesome. In almost all cases the procedure was performed and supervised by the women of the family, and it was usually the grandmothers who bound the feet of their granddaughters. First, the feet were soaked in warm water, and then massaged with hot oil and towels. All but the largest toes were usually broken, bent back towards the sole, and bound as tightly as possible. The girl was required to walk regularly to encourage pauses to hold and compress the arch of the foot.
Bandages and attachments were also changed regularly and tightened. In most cases the goal was to obtain a “golden lotus”, i.e. a foot measuring no more than 3 inches (about 7.6 cm) in length. A so-called “silver lotus” or foot measuring no more than 4 inches (about 10.1 cm) was generally considered acceptable, but anything longer was often thought to defeat the purpose. In summary, the binding and tightening process usually took about two years, although regular lifelong maintenance was usually required.
Reasoning and Philosophy
There are various theories about the exact origin of this practice. A legend places the beginning of the tradition in the 10th century. The foot binding is commonly believed to have been caused by a Chinese ruler named Li Yu. One of his consorts, Yao-niang, is said to have danced on a golden lotus pedestal with her feet wrapped in silk. Claims that Li Yu was overwhelmed by the beauty of Yao-niang’s dance would have incited other women to imitate her. The trend eventually became associated with feminine beauty and submissiveness, and became in many places essentially a requirement for a desirable marriage.
Small feet were often seen as a sense of pride for both a woman and her husband’s family. Women with bound feet typically displayed them in tiny embroidered shoes with a wooden platform, and the shoes were often quite intricate. The special shoes were typically called “lotus shoes” and usually came to a sharp point at the toe; according to some, the shape of the bandaged foot as a whole should have resembled a crescent moon.
Health and hygiene concerns
Foot binding required a high degree of care and attention to hygiene. It was common for the feet to swell, fill with pus, and smell like rotting flesh. Once opened, the feet and any wounds resulting from the tight wrapping were healed. Even women had to have their toenails carefully trimmed. Ingrown toenails pose a serious risk of infection. Bound feet are linked to health effects that are known to be lifelong in some cases.
Changing times and sensibilities
For centuries in China, women without the specially shaped feet emblematic of foot binding were generally considered unrefined and unattractive. This has changed and the process is no longer considered desirable or even attractive by most members of society, and indeed the process was outlawed in 1911, although many families defied it and continued to bind their feet by tradition and pride. The last factory producing the special “lotus shoes” closed in the late 1990s, largely due to lack of demand.
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