CHINESE FOOT BINDING

CHINESEFOOTBINDINGCHINESEFOOTBINDINGBy:JamesA.Crites(Written25October1995)Footbinding.Thesetwowordsbringupimagesoftwisteddeformedfeet,painandtorture.Itseemsthateveryonehasheardoffootbinding.Thewordsareself-explanatory.However,whatdowereallyknowaboutit?Whatwasactuallydone?Whywasitdoneandhowcouldsuchathinghavebeentolerated?Whenandwheredidthistakeplaceandisthiscustomstillpracticedtoday?ThesearesomeofthequestionsthatIhadandinthefollowingpagesIwillattempttoanswerthesequestionsandgiveusabetterunderstandingofthisbizarrecustom.Soexactlywhatisfootbinding?Inanutshellitwasanattempttostopthegrowthofthefeet.Itusuallybegansomewherebetweentheagesoffourandseven.Possiblyevenlaterifthefamilywaspoorandneededtheirdaughtertodoworkaroundthehouseorfarm.Abandage,tenfeetlongandtwoincheswidewaswrappedtightlyaroundthcfoot,forcingthefoursmalltoesunderthesoleofthefoot.Thismadethefeetnarrowerbutatthesametimeitmadethefeetshorterbecauseitalsoforcedthebigtoeandtheheelclosertogetherbybowingthearchofthefoot.Thebandagewastightenedeachdayandthegirlwasputintoprogressivelysmallerandsmallersizedshoes.Theentireprocessusuallytookabouttwoyearsattheendofwhichthefeetwereessentiallydeadandutterlyuseless.Bindingthefeetwastheeasypart,beingbentsooutofshapethefeetrequiredlotsofcore.Thcfeethadtobewashedandmanicuredonadailybasis.Iftheyweren'tmanicuredproperlythetoenailscouldcutintotheinstepandinfectioncouldsetin.Ifthebindingsweretootighttheycouldcutoffcirculationwhichcouldleadtogangreneandbloodpoisoning.Thefeethadtobemassagedandgivenhotandcoldcompressestohelprelievethepainandhelpimprovecirculation.Ifallthisisn'tbadenough,cornswoulddeveloponthetoesthatwerebentunderandwouldhavetobecutoffwithaknife.Butwait!Itgetsworse!Withthelackofcirculationfleshwouldrotandfalloffandsometimesthetoeswouldoozepus.Thepainwassaidtohavebeenexcruciatingespeciallyifthisprocesswasbegunatalaterage.Theidealfootwouldfitintoashoeonlythreetofourincheslong.AChinesesayingsays,Everypairofsmallfeetcostsabath(kang)oftears.Itisdifficulttoimaginethesufferingthatthesewomenhadtoendure.Hereisanaccountfromawomanthatwentthroughthisordeal:WhenIwassevenmymother….washedandplacedalumonmyfeetandcutmytoenails.Shethenbentmytoestowardtheplantarwithabindingclothtenfeetlongandtwoincheswidedoingtherightfootfirstandthentheleft.She...orderedmetowalkbutwhenIdidthepainprovedunbearable,thatnight...myfeetfeltonfireandIcouldn'tsleep;motherstruckmeforcrying.OnthefollowingdaysItriedtohidebutwasforcedtowalkonmyfeet...afterseveralmonthsalltoesbutthebigonewerepressedagainsttheinnersurface..,motherwouldremovethebindingsandwipethebloodandpusswhichdrippedfrommyfeet.Shetoldmethatonlywithremovalofthefleshcouldmyfeetbecomeslender...everytwoweeksIchangedtonewshoes.Eachnewpairwasonetotwotenthsofaninchsmallerthanthepreviousone....Insummermyfeetsmelledoffensivelybecauseofpussandblood;inwintermyfeetfeltcoldbecauseoflackofcirculation...fourofthetoeswerecurledinlikesomanydeadcaterpillars...ittooktwoyearstoachievethethreeinchmodel...myshankswerethin,myfeetbecamehumped,uglyandodoriferous.FootbindingbeganlateintheT'angDynasty(618-906)anditgraduallyspreadthroughtheupperclassduringtheSongDynasty(960-1297).DuringtheMingperiod(1368-1644)andtheChingDynasty(1644-1911)thecustomoffootbindingspreadthroughtheoverwhelmingmajorityoftheChinesepopulationuntilitwasfinallyoutlawedinthe1911RevolutionofSunYat-Sen.Infact,theonlypeoplestoavoidthiscustomweretheManchuconquerors,TheHakkaChinesemigrantgroupsinsouthChinaandthelowestclassofpeopleinChinawhowerebelowthesocialnorms.Thepracticeoffootbindinglastedforapproximatelyonethousandyears.Duringthistime,approximatelyonebillionwomenhadtheirfeetbound.Thereareseverallegendsthatendeavortoaccountfortheinceptionofthiscustom,oneisthattheconcubineofaChineseprincenamedYaoNiangwalkedsogracefullythatitseemedasifsheskimmedoverthetopofgoldenlilies.AtthattimethelilyfootedwomanorawomanwithboundfeetbecamethemodelinChina.Asecondlegendsaysthatthisconcubine,YaoNiang,wasorderedtobindherfeetsothatherfeetwouldlooklikenewmoons.AthirdlegendsaysthatwomenboundtheirfeetoutofsympathyforanEmpresswithclubfeet.Anotheraccountisthatfootbindingwasmadestylishbycourtdancers,Howeverthisseemssomewhatunlikelybecausewomenwithboundfeethadahardtimewalkingletalonedancing.Theoriginoffootbindingmaynotbeclear,howevertheresultsorafteraffectsareapparent.Footbindingstoppedconcubinesandwivesoftherichfromstrayingorrunningawayfrombeatings.Confucianteachingsatthistimestressedthesuperiorstatusofmenoverwomenasabasicelementofsocialorderandthiswascertainlyaneffectivemethodofrestraint.Footbindingbeganasaluxuryamongtherich;itmadethewomenmoredependentonothersandlessusefularoundthehouse.Thiswasespeciallyhardonthepoorwhoneededhelparoundthehouseorfarm.Itsoonbecameaprerequisiteformarriage.Itwasevenajustreasonforamantocalloffmarriageifhefoundoutthatthewomanthathadbeenarrangedforhimtomarrydidnothaveboundfeet.Itcamethatfootbindingwastheonlyrightthingtodoforadaughter,Manylowerclassfamilieswhoreallycouldnotaffordtobindtheirdaughtersfeet,duetothelossoflaborshewouldhavecontributedto