footbinding

footbinding, cultural practice, existing in China from the 10th century until the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949, that involved tightly bandaging the feet of women to alter their shape for aesthetic purposes.

Footbinding usually began when girls were between 4 and 6 years old; some were as young as 3, and some as old as 12. Mothers, grandmothers, or older female relatives first bound the girl’s feet. The ultimate goal was to make them 3 inches long, the ideal “golden lotus” foot, though few individuals actually achieved that goal. The four smaller toes were tucked underneath, pulled toward the heel, and wrapped with bandages. Each time the feet were unbound, the bandages and feet were cleaned. Any dead skin, blisters, dried blood, and pus were removed. The process could cause paralysis, gangrene, ulceration, or death, though death was rare. Binding the feet continued for the rest of the girl’s life. Decorative shoes and leggings were worn over the bandages and could differ with the time of day and occasion.

The exact origin of the practice is unknown. Most agree that it began because of male erotic fascination with the shape and point of court dancers’ feet while dancing. Although footbinding started in the upper classes, it spread rapidly. In poorer families who could not afford the bandages or lack of labour associated with a hobbled woman, footbinding was not done until the girls were older. Once a girl married, the bandages were taken off, and she reentered the workforce.

Footbinding was viewed as a rite of passage for young girls and was believed to be preparation for puberty, menstruation, and childbirth. It symbolized a girl’s willingness to obey, just as it limited the mobility and power of females, kept women subordinate to men, and increased the differences between the sexes. It ensured a girl’s marriagability in patrilineal Chinese culture and was a shared bond between daughters, mothers, and grandmothers. Footbinding was also a prestige symbol, and the popular belief was that it increased fertility because the blood would flow up to the legs, hips, and vaginal areas.

During the Qing Dynasty the emperor Kangxi (reigned 1661–1722) banned footbinding in 1662 but withdrew the ban in 1668 because so many Chinese were still practicing it. Opposition to the practice became more widespread when missionaries to China argued that it was cruel; missionaries also pointed out that the rest of the world looked down on it. After the Nationalist Revolution in 1911, footbinding was outlawed in 1912. However, the practice did not truly end until the creation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

Footbinding has been compared to other ways to “perfect” the female body, such as corsets and female genital cutting or mutilation.