three-inch golden foot_ foot binding

three-inch golden foot_ foot binding	three-inch golden foot_ foot binding

The ancient custom of foot binding was practiced in China from about the 10th century and ended in 1911 after approximately 1000 years. This practice touched most of the lives of young Chinese girls regardless of their social class. Many questions have been asked regarding this custom. Why were young girls subjected to such a painful custom? How could these young girls’mothers have participated in such a painful practice? What was gained, or hoped to be gained, by this practice? This unit will attempt to answer some of these questions and to further the understanding of this custom.
Foot binding began at about age 4 to 7 on young Chinese girls. The foot was soaked in hot water and massaged then it was wrapped in a way in which the child's toes were turned under and pressed against the bottom of her foot. Her largest toe was left unturned in order to give the girl a sense of balance. The child's arches of her foot were broken as the foot was pulled straight with the leg. This caused the foot to actually shrink. This process took anywhere from three years or longer to complete. The result of this process was a deformed "tiny" foot (about three inches long). Another result was extreme pain for the child, as well as infection, gangrene and for 10% of the girls who had their feet bound death. Some accounts say that when the process was complete the feet were unbound. Other accounts say that the foot was continually bound because it was more painful to have it unbound. Regardless, of some unclear information regarding this practice, it is without debate that this process kept women from being able to move as their western counterparts. It further rendered them subservient to men and was used as a social control over women for 1000 years.