Chinese+Customs

= Chinese Foot Binding = = By: Shannon =

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Pain. Tourture. Deformed Feet. For thousands of years in China, foot binding has been a tradition practiced by all women. At first, it was only practiced by the wealthy, but as time went on, it became so popular that the poor began to practice it also. Girl's feet were bound between the ages of four and seven, causing many hardships during the rest of their lives. During a girl's childhood in China, foot binding was a tradition that was seen as a form of beauty, caused horrible pain, and made the lives of women harder. ======

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As said by Jeanine Holman, the process of foot binding “was a slow, agonizing process of crushing the bones and flesh into the narrow, pointed shape of a crescent moon, the so-called Golden Lotus.” The process of foot binding was basically forcing the feet into the shape of a crescent moon and wrapping them with a long strip of cloth. The cloth would then be tightened each day to bring the heel of the foot forward to the ball of the foot. This would break the arch of the foot and force it upward. Once the foot was bound, the girls had to rebind the foot asa part of their personal hygiene (Holman). ======

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“The early Chinese equated tiny feet with beauty. They were seen as mysterious and attractive, and a symbol of wealth and power since women with bound feet couldn’t work” (Martin). This quote is saying that girls would get their feet bound for beauty. Even though foot binding caused a lot of pain, people saw it as a symbol of wealth, so all rich women would have their feet bound. As foot binding became more popular, the poor began to bind their feet as well. ======

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Even though foot binding was a sign of beauty, it caused women horrible pain. As written by James A. Crites about a woman who had bound feet, “She…ordered my to walk but when I did they pain proved unbearable, that night…my feet felt on fire and I couldn’t sleep; mother struck me for crying.” Women with bound feet did not have a choice of whether or not they wanted to go through the horrible pain and agony, they were forced to by their mother’s or grandmothers. The pain was so bad, that the girls could hardly walk, and if they began to cry, they were hit by their mother. This process was so painful because it was meant to stop the growth of the feet (Crites). ======

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The process of foot binding was not only a sign of beauty and pain, but it also made the lives of women harder. “Foot binding began as a luxury among the rich; it made the women more dependent on others and less useful around the house. This was especially hard on the poor who needed help around the house or farm” (Crites). According to this quote, once women had their feet bound, they could not do many things by themselves, they had to rely on others for help. This was especially difficult for the poor who could not afford to pay for the help they needed. ======

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Beginning thousands of years ago in China, foot binding was a process that was seen as beauty. It also caused grueling pain and made the lives of women harder. It was only practiced by the wealthy at first, but it became more and more popular and soon the poor began this process also. A girl’s feet were bound between the ages of four and seven, causing the rest of their life to be very difficult. ======

=Works Cited  =

Cri Crites, James A. "Chinese Foot Binding." 25 Oct. 1995. 24 Feb. 2009 []. Holman, Jeanine. "Bound Feet." 24 Feb. 2009 []. Martin, Janet. "Chinese Foot Binding." 24 Feb. 2009 []. Bound Feet. (Online Image) Available [], March 12, 2009. Foot Binding Boots. (Online Image) Available [], March 12, 2009. Normal Feet vs. Foot Binding Feet. (Online Image) Available [], March 24, 2009.