The practice was popular by the 12th century

There are two stories as to how this tradition began

Foot-Binding was made illegal soon after the Chinese Revolution in 1911

Began between the ages of 3 and 11

Was performed by the girl’s mother or another female relative

Foot-binding usually took place in the fall and winter so the girl would feel less pain

1. The girl’s toenails would be cut 2. Her feet would be soaked in hot water 3. Except for the big toe, all of her toes

would be broken and folded under the foot

4. Her feet would be wrapped tightly in silk or cotton bandages

5. Every few days, the bandages would be taken off, the feet cleaned, and the feet wrapped even more tightly

• Wealth• Status• Beauty• Marriage

A three-inch-long foot, called a “golden lotus,” was considered beautiful

Feet this size would be able to fit into the delicate and beautiful shoes made for bound feet

Having bound feet made it difficult to walk, and so a man who had a wife with bound feet looked as if he had so much money and status that his wife did not need to work

1. What is the popular legend about how foot binding began?

2. Why did Chinese men want wives with bound feet?

3. How did foot binding physically affect women? 4. What practices exist in our society that

promote beauty at the expense of pain? 5. How does the media (TV, movies, videos,

magazines) perpetuate this oppression of women by creating false and unrealistic images of beauty?