Foot Binding

"Foot binding was the custom of applying tight binding to the  feet of young girls to modify the shape of the foot. The practice  possibly originated among upper class court dancers during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in 10th century China, then became popular among the elite during the Song dynasty and eventually spread to all social classes by the Qing dynasty.  

Foot binding became popular as a means of displaying status (women from  wealthy families, who did not need their feet to work, could afford to  have them bound) and was correspondingly adopted as a symbol of beauty  in Chinese culture.

Foot binding limited the mobility of women,  resulting in them walking in a swaying unsteady gait, although some  women with bound feet working outdoor had also been reported. The  prevalence and practice of foot binding varied in different parts of the  country. Feet altered by binding were called lotus feet.

It has been estimated that by the 19th century, 40–50% of all Chinese  women may have had bound feet, and up to almost 100% among upper class  Han Chinese women. The Manchu Kangxi Emperor tried to ban foot binding in 1664 but failed.

In the later part of the 19th century, Chinese reformers challenged the  practice but it was not until the early 20th century that foot binding  began to die out as a result of anti-foot-binding campaigns.  Foot-binding resulted in lifelong disabilities for most of its subjects,  and a few elderly Chinese women still survive today with disabilities  related to their bound feet.

In 1912, the new Republic of China government banned foot binding (though not actively implemented). By the 21st century, only a few elderly women in China still have bound feet. In 1999, the last shoe factory making lotus shoes, the Zhiqiang Shoe Factory in Harbin, closed."

Source - wikipedia

Films that deal with this topics:

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

I've actually noticed that the Chinese avoid mentioning foot binding in their dramas, probably because they're ashamed of it.

I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I'm not sure how accurate it is but apparently, beautifully binded feet can elevate one's status. The higher the arch is and the smaller the foot is, the  better.

And if I'm not mistaken, the practice is now  considered a taboo and women who have their feet binded are publicly shamed so it's only natural we don't hear of it. 

This is a topic aggravates me and makes me want to cry. I heard, but I am not sure about its validity, that foot binding started because an emperor's concubine danced with very small feet in shoes shaped like a lotus and was very well loved by the emperor. Thus, other women in his court followed suit and it quickly became very popular in all of China. Foot-binding aggregates me in so many ways. I am angry at men for claiming it is beautiful and regarding it as a representation of wealth and gives the family a sense of pride for their women to have small feet. I am angry at the women as well, even though they are the victims. Despite knowing how painful and unhealthy foot binding is, they continue the practice and even force their children and other girls to follow suit. Pictures of bound feet haunt me because they look so painful. 

I read a book called The Good Earth and it touches on this topic. The wife, who worked like a servant for the family, is despised by her husband for having large feet because she grew up poor. He meets a prostitute called Lotus, ironic because it is the same name as the shoes used for foot-binding. The main character, Wang Lung, falls in love with her because she has tiny, tiny feet. 

@cherrybunny   Thank you for pointing that out. During the Qing dynasty they wore flowerpot shoes. You will see them a lot in Empress In the Palace. Manchus did not bind their feet.  Empress Dowager Cixi banned foot-binding in 1902. She is also of Manchu descent. 

 Ceki:

^ Actually no, her edict was soon revoked and it wasn't until 1912 that the government finally banned this practice. However, it took years to ban it completely because people still practiced it in rural areas.

True, but I believe she was the first one to ban it. 

Sadly some really old women still practice it today. 

Thanks for the history. I forgot why I also looked this up ages ago, but I remember seeing pics of their foot bent and distorted, it looked more scary than pretty and small. I'm not Chinese, but Vietnam has been heavily influenced by China throughout history. My mom used to "point out" how huge my feet are (I'm tall, jeez) and called me "elephant feet." She has pretty tiny asian feet. :'(

I agree with Cindy Lee, I'm so apalled at how men AND women can allow their kids and wives to be tortured like this for "physical" appearances.