There was a custom of foot-binding in ancient China. What is the purpose of foot binding?

The purpose of ancient women's foot-binding was mainly to satisfy the deformed aesthetics of the feudal dynasty. After all, little feet were also called lotus feet at that time. According to the degree of package and the size of the foot, the ancients divided the lotus foot into lotus, silver lotus and iron lotus: the three-inch lotus is called "lotus", commonly known as "three-inch lotus"; The four-inch one is called "Anemone"; Between four inches and five inches is called "iron smelting"; As for those over five inches, they are all big feet. For women at that time, the smaller the feet, the higher the grade, and it was easier to satisfy the abnormal aesthetic of men at that time.

There is no clear literature record about the origin of the custom of foot-binding, but in some myths and legends about Xia and Shang dynasties, women with little feet have been mentioned. For example, Tu Shanshi, whom Dayu once married, was a little foot, and da ji, the concubine of Shang Zhouwang, was also a little foot, but this cannot be the evidence of women's foot-binding at that time.

As for the earliest mention of foot-binding literature, it was in "Interpretation of Han Li in Zhou Dynasty": "Han Wuliang painted Lao Lai's mother, Ceng Zi's wife and toe." But this is certainly not the overall situation of society at that time, but it is also an example. Although there have been records about foot binding since the Zhou Dynasty, the custom of foot binding really began to prevail in the Northern Song Dynasty. According to the record of Xiaojia in the Wind Window, there were shoes specially used for foot binding at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, and the custom of foot binding began to be popular in the upper class.

Because the feudal society has always been in a state where men are superior to women, especially after women's feet are entangled into a "three-inch golden lotus", even walking is a very big problem, which hinders women's labor and social interaction, resulting in the vast majority of them having to stay at home and live a life of mutual care. After a long time, it is basically out of touch with society, and the phenomenon that men are strong and women are weak is naturally more and more serious. After all, even women who are difficult to go out at home have no ability to resist even if they have any dissatisfaction. This is the greatest sorrow for women in feudal society, and it is also the biggest constraint for them.

In the Song Dynasty, the custom of foot-binding was only popular in the upper class or some romantic places. But in the Yuan Dynasty, this trend began to develop slowly from the upper class to the lower class. Especially at the end of Yuan Dynasty, the concept of not being ashamed of foot-binding appeared directly. Under the influence of this concept, more and more women have joined the ranks of foot binding.

In the Ming Dynasty, women's foot-binding became popular. At this time, foot-binding has become a symbol of social status and rank, and even the saying of three-inch golden lotus has spread at this time. At this time, women's foot binding is constantly not only to lower their heads and hang their feet, but also to wrap them into angular and other messy rules. Hu Shi, a master of literature in the Ming Dynasty, directly listed it as three major diseases in the Ming Dynasty with stereotyped writing and opium. Even after Dr. Sun Yat-sen overthrew the Qing Dynasty, the prohibition of foot binding did not completely eradicate this phenomenon until the founding of New China.