Foot Binding

They broke their toes and wrapped the feet tightly

They wrapped their toes together with bandages

They broke their big toe and wrapped it under the foot

They broke their toes and arches but did not wrap them

the rising popularity of neo-Confucianism

the practice of foot binding and its effects

how the bones in feet naturally grow

why women accept painful beauty procedures

“Although the practice was promoted as a way to increase health and fertility, foot binding was clearly detrimental to a woman’s well-being.”

“Virtuous women were prized according to the tenets of Neo-Confucianism, and foot binding was the ultimate symbol of a woman’s purity and discipline.”

“According to the legend, foot binding began when an ancient Chinese emperor’s dancer bound her feet to suggest the shape of a new moon or a flower.”

“Girls with tiny, well-bound feet increased their chances of marrying into a good family and moving up in society.”

because women’s feet were considered dirty

because only a woman’s husband could see her feet

to preserve the illusion of ideal beauty

because men did not like to look at feet

foot binding in China

neo-Confucianism

standards of beauty

women in ancient China