Foot binding can be said to be a "patent" in ancient my country, which fully reflects the cruelty of women in the patriarchal society. Today we all know that foot binding not only causes great physical damage to women, but also suppresses the spirit, which is harmful to all. However, throughout thousands of years of history, Han women have continued the custom of foot-binding. The most fundamental reason is because of the distorted aesthetics of feudal ethics and patriarchal society.
There are several theories about when foot binding originated. Some say it originated in the Sui Dynasty, some say it was the Southern Tang Dynasty, and some say it was introduced by Su Shi of the Northern Song Dynasty. But no matter which one it is, one thing is very clear. Women's feet were bound to cater to the abnormal aesthetics of the patriarchal society at that time, while women's physical and mental health was not taken seriously at all. From those three-inch embroidered shoes of various styles and extremely exquisite workmanship in ancient times, it is enough to see how obsessed men at that time were with the perverted beauty of the "three-inch golden lotus".
It is said that the practice of foot binding first emerged in the court of the Southern Tang Dynasty. It was a method adopted by dancers to make their dance postures look lighter. Later, it spread outside the palace and became the object of imitation by the wealthy class. Men's admiration and fascination with women's small feet has also continued to grow, so much so that foot binding has become a symbol of upper-class female status, and the smaller the better. After the Ming Dynasty, the custom of foot binding spread to civilian families. Every Han woman had to have her feet bound and was ashamed of her natural "big feet" (also known as "heavenly feet").
In the Qing Dynasty, because women in the Qing Dynasty had to learn riding and shooting from an early age, there was no custom of foot binding. However, Han women still adhered to the "three-inch golden lotus". Even in the Republic of China, women with bound feet were still everywhere visible.