Customs and traditions are put forward by our ancestors to enlighten the further generations and teach them to think about what is good and what is bad for them? But by observing the Chinese custom “ Binding foot” of upper-class Chinese women let’s explore why was it necessary for upper-class women in china to have lotus feet.
HISTORICAL VIEW:
There is no exact proper evidence to show when this practice evolved. Butt the general view is that the concubine of emperor Li Yu of Southern Tang was asked to bound her feet and make the shape of the crescent moon and dance on the 6 feet lotus made by Li Yu. That dance was so graceful and attracted other folks. The custom then continued to upper-class Chinese women.
PROCESS:
1)First of all, each foot is made to soak in a warm mixture of herbs and animal blood to soften the feet and prepare further for binding.
2)The toenails were cut back as deep as possible to prevent infection and growth.
3)3M cotton bandage soaked in animal blood and herbs is made to tightly bound around the feet and tightly forced downward and squeezed into the sole of the foot.
4)The broken toes were held tightly against the sole of the foot while the foot was then drawn down straight with the leg and the arch of the foot was forcibly broken.
5) The bandages were repeatedly wound in a figure-of-eight movement, starting at the inside of the foot at the instep, then carried over the toes, under the foot, and around the heel, the freshly broken toes being pressed tightly into the sole of the foot. At each pass around the foot, the binding cloth was tightened, pulling the ball of the foot and the heel together, causing the broken foot to fold at the arch, and pressing the toes underneath the sole.
6)The binding was pulled so tightly that the girl could not move her toes at all and the ends of the binding cloth were then sewn so that the girl could not loosen it.
7)THis is done to children of the age 6 to 9.
Conclusion:
This seems to be a very cruel procedure and very hard on children by making them bleed, and experience torture at a very young age. The practice is now almost forbidden only a very few women in the 21st century are still practicing in China.
referred from Wikipedia.
