History Lesson - Chinese Foot Binding

Something interesting I thought I’d share with you…

In Chinese culture, foot binding made a woman more desirable, marriageable, and held a higher social status.

What is foot binding you ask?

When a girl turned anywhere from three to six years old in China, her mom would rip up strips of cloth and start binding her feet. The wrappings would be taken off daily, then rewound tighter and tighter. Sometimes the toes would be broken right away and folded under the foot; otherwise they would just be gradually bound in that direction so they'd end up there.

The 'ideal' length of a perfect foot, called the "Golden Lotus", was three inches long. This was a rare occurrence, this 3 inch perfection, but it was something to strive for nonetheless.

Check out the pictures below (which you can enlarge), and then click the link for the full history lesson.

CHINESE FOOT BINDING