Chinese foot binding was an ancient barbaric practice in rural China where the feet of young girls were tightly bound to try and prevent then growing. The practice resulted in severe deformity and painful feet. Special shoes were worn.

Chinese foot binding was an ancient cultural practice that lasted for nearly a thousand years, beginning during the Tang Dynasty and becoming widespread by the Song Dynasty. It involved tightly wrapping the feet of young girls, usually between the ages of four and nine, to prevent them from growing naturally. The goal was to create what was known as the “lotus foot,” ideally about three inches long, which was considered a symbol of beauty, elegance, and high social status. The process was extremely painful and often led to lifelong physical disabilities, but for centuries, it was deeply ingrained in Chinese ideals of femininity and attractiveness.

The practice had strong social and economic implications. Bound feet became a marker of refinement and were associated with marriageability, especially in elite circles. Families would bind their daughters’ feet to increase their chances of marrying into wealth or status, as small feet were seen as a sign of discipline, obedience, and desirability. At the same time, it reinforced gender inequality by limiting women’s mobility, effectively confining them to domestic spaces and making them more dependent on male relatives. Over time, the cultural association between beauty and bound feet became so entrenched that even women from poorer families adopted the practice, despite the hardship it brought.

However, foot binding also sparked criticism and reform, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as China sought to modernize. Intellectuals, reformers, and missionaries began condemning the practice as barbaric and detrimental to the nation’s strength, since it physically weakened half the population. Anti-foot-binding societies were established, and the movement gained momentum alongside broader calls for women’s education and emancipation. By the early 20th century, the practice was officially banned, though it persisted in some rural areas for a few decades. Today, foot binding is remembered as a stark example of the extreme lengths to which cultural beauty standards can go, as well as a reminder of how societal pressures can profoundly shape and restrict women’s lives.

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