5. The ancient practice of foot binding was in use into the twentieth century
Beginning in ancient times and continuing into Chinese society of the twentieth century, women were considered to be more attractive if they had small, even tiny feet. Although physical attraction was not a consideration when arranging marriages, it likely contributed to the relationship between husbands and wives, and between masters and concubines. In order to achieve small feet, young girls – often as young as five years of age – had their feet bound to discourage their growth. The feet were bound with straps which curled the toes downward and back toward the soles, so tightly that the toes were broken, and remained in place facing backwards, kept in position for years.
The broken toes were thus prevented from growing, and the young girl was forced to walk on them as she endured the pain of the broken bones and the pressure exerted unnaturally upon the soles of her feet. The child was forced to hobble about, restricted to work within the home, developing both a distinctive style of walking and pleasingly smaller feet. Binding as practiced in ancient China was a serious matter, with any attempt to ease the constant pain by loosening the bindings a reason for administering corporal punishment. Foot binding of young girls in China remained a practice from the days of the ancient Chinese into the twentieth century before it was banned. The admiration of small feet on women remains an aspect of Chinese culture in some areas to this day.