Foot binding is caused by the ancient aesthetics. The ancients highly respected the aesthetics of small and exquisite feet, and regarded small feet as beautiful. Especially for men, small feet are very attractive. For example, the term "three-inch golden lotus" represents a term that praises the beauty of women's feet. Those within four inches are called "anemone", and those larger than four inches are called "iron lotus", which shows the degree of admiration for small feet.
Foot binding is a bad habit in ancient China. It means that women wrap their feet tightly with cloth to reduce the deformity of their feet and think it looks beautiful. Generally, women begin to have their feet bound when they are four or five years old, and the bandage is untied until their adult bones are established. There are also those who have their feet bound for life.
Foot binding is an act that disrupts the normal development of limbs. Women with foot binding have to bind their feet from a young age, slowly breaking the bones of the feet and making them deformed. The bound feet not only cause various inconveniences in real life, but also women have to endure great pain during the entire foot binding process. This kind of thing that has no practical effect and causes extreme pain to the recipient has become widespread and has become a social custom that has lasted for nearly a thousand years.
Extended information
According to research by modern scholars, foot binding began in the late Northern Song Dynasty and rose in the Southern Song Dynasty. Foot binding in the Yuan Dynasty continued to develop in a smaller direction. In the Ming Dynasty, the foot-binding trend entered its peak period, and the theory of "three-inch golden lotus" appeared, which required that the feet should not only be as small as three inches, but also be curved.
However, no female corpses unearthed before the Qing Dynasty had feet bound, which shows that foot binding was not very common at that time. The foot-binding trend in the Qing Dynasty spread to women from all walks of life. Regardless of whether they were rich or poor, noble or humble, they all had their feet bound, but there were also many who did not.
The Han people have been pursuing the beauty of women’s bodies for a long time. In ancient times, there was a saying that “the king of Chu had such a slim waist that many died of hunger in the palace.” There are many poems praising beauties in the past dynasties for their delicate figures and light steps. enumerate. The admiration of the rulers of the Song Dynasty also played a huge role. The royal family and the upper class of the Song Dynasty were the first to start foot binding.
"Helin Jade Dew" records: In the fourth year of Jianyan, "Emperor Roufu arrived, and she was greatly doubted." She frowned and said: "The Jin people forced me to travel thousands of miles, how can I return to my old state?" Compassion". "History of the Song Dynasty: Five Elements Chronicles" records: "In the Lizong Dynasty, the palace people tied their feet and straightened their legs." This is an example of foot binding for women in the royal family and palace of the Song Dynasty.
Su Shi's "The Bodhisattva Man's Song of Feet" calls women's small feet "gong-like", and Cao Yuanchong calls the small feet "official-like" in a poem. This also shows that foot binding originated from the bureaucratic aristocracy of the Song Dynasty. Upper class society.
Foot binding was also highly praised by literati in the Song Dynasty. Even outstanding literary giants such as Su Shi and Xin Qiji had chapters praising and appreciating foot binding. Su Shi's poem "Bodhisattva Man" contains the sentence "Delicate and delicate words must be seen from the palm of the hand". Xin Qiji's "Bodhisattva Man" contains: "The light yellow bow-shaped shoes are small, and the waist is afraid of being blown down by the wind", which is often used as a sentence. People quote.
Mr. Lin Yutang once described the gait of women after foot binding: Chinese women's foot binding completely changed the woman's style and gait. "It has the same effect as a modern girl wearing high-heeled leather shoes, and it creates a new style." This extremely restrained and delicate gait makes the whole body weak and shaky, giving rise to a pitiful feeling."
It was this "poor feeling" that inflated the feudal scholar-bureaucrats. sense of one's own superiority. This gave rise to its "highest degree of secrecy in sexual ideals."
Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Footbinding