History Origin 18th century illustration showing Yao Niang binding her own feet By 2007, only a small handful of elderly Chinese women whose feet had been bound were still alive. Additionally, upper-class and urban women dropped the practice of footbinding sooner than poorer rural women. It was not until the early 20th century that the practice began to die out, following the efforts of anti-footbinding campaigns. In the late 19th century, Christian missionaries and Chinese reformers challenged the practice. It has been estimated that, by the 19th century, 40–50% of all Chinese women may have had bound feet, rising to almost 100% in upper-class Han Chinese women. In some areas, footbinding raised marriage prospects. Manchu emperors attempted to ban the practice in the 17th century, but failed. Footbinding eventually spread to lower social classes by the Qing dynasty (1636–1912). The practice may have originated among court dancers during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in 10th-century China, and gradually became popular among the elite during the Song dynasty. The prevalence and practice of footbinding varied over time and by region and social class. However, footbinding was a painful practice that limited the mobility of women and resulted in lifelong disabilities. In late imperial China, bound feet were considered a status symbol and a mark of feminine beauty. Feet altered by footbinding were known as lotus feet, and the shoes made for these feet were known as lotus shoes. 1870sįoot binding (traditional Chinese 纏足 chánzú, simplified Chinese 缠足 id.), or footbinding, was the Chinese custom of breaking and tightly binding the feet of young girls in order to change their shape and size. A Chinese woman showing her foot, image by Lai Afong, c.
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