Leg bandaging is a Chinese tradition dating back to the early tenth century. This custom was widespread among the aristocrats: bandaged, deformed feet were called "pinyin", which literally means "tied foot."
The origin of the tradition
Girls, using a strip of cloth, were tied to their toes (except for the big one) and then forced to wear very small shoes, which led to significant deformation of the legs. Sometimes this deformation deprived girls of the chance to walk at all. Feet disfigured in this way were called "golden lotuses." The prestige of the bride directly depended on their size, in addition, among the aristocracy it was widely believed that ladies from high society should not walk on their own. Deformed feet greatly complicated the process of moving, so the aristocratic girls constantly needed help. Healthy legs at that time were associated with peasant labor and low birth.
There are several legends about the origin of this tradition. One of them says that the beloved concubine of the Shang dynasty emperor was a clubfoot, so she asked her master to oblige all girls to bandage their feet so that her legs become a model of elegance and beauty.
Another legend claims that one of the Emperor Xiao Baojuan's concubines, with especially graceful legs, danced barefoot on a beautiful golden platform decorated with images of lotuses. The emperor, admired by her dance, exclaimed: "From the touch of these legs lotuses bloom!" This version explains the origin of the expression "golden lotus" or "lotus foot", but the legend does not say that the feet of the concubine were bandaged.
The most widespread legend is the story of how Emperor Li Yu asked a concubine named Yao Nian to bandage her legs with strips of white silk to make them look like crescents, after which the girl danced a beautiful dance at the very tips of her bandaged toes. Women of aristocratic families were delighted with this, and they began to imitate Yao Niang, spreading the practice of bandaging the legs.
Side effects
A woman with deformed feet was completely and completely dependent on her family, and especially on her husband. She had to stay at home, not participating in political and public life. Bandaged legs, thus, became a symbol of male power and female weakness and chastity.
A woman unable to move independently testified to the privileged position of her husband and his wealth, since such a man could afford to support his wife in idleness.
In China, for hundreds of years, foot bandaging was credited with medicinal properties, it was believed that such a deformation of the legs increased the ability of women to bear children. The bandaged foot became one of the main signs of beauty, women were not willingly married without deformity of the feet.
