CHINESE FOOTBINDING

The “art” of Foot Binding practiced in China for over 1000 years at first only in the upper class but soon spread to every social class in China. For 1000 years almost every young girl in the country was put through excruciating pain as their feet were bound into three inch “Lotus Feet”.

Lotus Feet

The toes were bent down underneath the foot and wrapped tightly so they were pushed up against the sole of the foot. This would stop the normal growth of the toes. The toes would now grow into the sole of the foot destroying the natural arch. After several years of this torture, after the feet were totally done growing, the feet were finally unbound. The results were tiny feet that were barely able to hold any weight at all.

These are the shoes of a person with bound feet compared to normal size shoes. These shoes called “lotus shoes” or “lily shoes” were only about 3-4 inches long and only about 1 ½-2 inches wide.

The shoes worn were very expensive and very decorated The shoes worn were very expensive and very decorated. They were usually embroidered with bright colors and a lot of detail.

Being Held Back Women in upper class society were banished or even killed if they did not have their feet bound. Bound feet stopped women from having any type of life outside of their home. They couldn’t walk any distances on their feet so they were stuck in their houses. If a girl did not have bound feet she was considered unsuitable for marriage.

This was one of many ways women in China were kept subordinate to men. Men's Views Men were in favor of foot binding. It kept women in their homes and didn’t let them go seeking freedom and liberation. Men also thought that the tiny delicate steps that a woman had to take with bound feet looked feminine. This was one of many ways women in China were kept subordinate to men.

The mutilation and pain caused was horrible The mutilation and pain caused was horrible. Many times when the toes grew back into the sole of the foot it caused infections like gangrene and also death.

For the first few years of the feet being bound the children had to be carried or else their disabled feet would brake. If the feet were to brake they were not able to be fixed or heal right because of the mutilation they were already put through.

After a long 1000 years the government of China finally made this ritual illegal in 1911. China was the only country in the history of the world that ever did this. Today this is no longer practiced anywhere.