A similar pattern in history among many diverse cultures is body modification which involves altering and tampering with physical features. Despite the extreme pain, discomfort, and permanent deformation experienced many rituals, traditions, and practices flourished globally, especially the practice of foot-binding in China. Foot-binding involved years of pain, discomfort, and disfigurement. Exploring the practice of foot-binding unveils the logical reasons the mothers subjected their children to the painful process, shedding a new light on the intense pressure placed upon them by societal expectations and endorsing a comprehensive understanding of the intricate dynamics of their lives. Enlightenment will bestow a new shade of color on the justification rooted in their moral compass.
A Long-lasting Inspiration
The precise origin of footbinding isn’t clear but footbinding is said to have begun in the tenth century between the T’ang and Sung Dynasties. It was inspired by a court dancer Yao Niang. The first known bound foot can be traced back to the imperial court of Emperor Li Yu of the Southern T’ang Dynasty. Emperor Li Yu ruled over the southern region between 961 and 975 A.D. Yao-Niang, the deep-eyed maiden, was Emperor Li Yu’s beloved concubine and favorite in the court. The legend of Yao Niang says the maiden firmly bound her feet in the shape of a crescent moon to dance on her toes. It is said Emperor Li Yu became entranced by the way that Yao Niang could dance just on her toes while inside a six-foot golden lotus, festooned with ribbons and precious stones. The other women in the court and the elite class were inspired to imitate her distinct foot shape because of how much the emperor enjoyed them. Subsequently, the trend rose in popularity and dominated in the late T’ang Dynasty into the early Sung era. Several unsuccessful attempts to ban footbinding were made but the practice was long-lasting and by the 19th century it had evolved into a tradition amongst Chinese women. All across China bound feet were a sign of status and fashion (“The Horrors Behind Foot Binding”). The process started around six for the young girls. In the Chinese culture, footbinding was an essential part of their lives. My research on foot-binding unveiled many blossoming buds like the cherry blossoms on a tree that bloom every spring. It had become clear to me that at the core of it, the reason the girls had a particular mindset was because their mothers were taught the same kind of mindset. It was their obligation. No judgment can be placed upon their past because each culture including the American culture has a past of having executed many harsh traditions.
A Prosperous Future & A Strong Moral Compass
The Chinese women had a strong belief in being good wives and only serving their husbands which was taught and passed down to the next generation of ladies. A specific size bound foot for a young girl determined the success of her future prosperity. In the YouTube documentary, EWU History explains that bound feet were an expectation for women, and depending on the size of her bound feet would dictate how good of a marriage the young girl would be able to make. Foot size translated into a type of currency. Three types of lotus shoe sizes were worn based on the size of the feet. The desired size was the Golden lotus. The lotus shoe resembles modern-day heels for women. The Silver lotus was respected and the success of marriage was somewhat high. The Iron lotus was five inches. Surprisingly, it was preferred by the rural women who had heavier labor like fieldwork or gathering firewood. While it was preferable amongst the rural women the marriage prospects were low. The mothers who were the ones to administer the gruesome process of footbinding on their children were taught— due to the heavy emphasis of Neo-Confucianism— the belief in being a good wife and their life purpose was to honor their families and to ensure future prosperity for both herself and family. It was a responsibility and weight placed upon their shoulder. Amanda Foreman wrote: “Neo-Confucianism placed extra emphasis on chastity, obedience, and diligence”. A woman’s only obligation is to be a good wife, serve her husband, and procreate. In all honesty from what I have gathered in all my research, I noticed women from other diverse cultures had similar beliefs. It is a mutual belief amongst many cultures (history is proof). It dominated our lives for a long period. Now, cultures all around the world have evolved in their way of thinking including the Chinese culture. However, marriage and intellect are important aspects for them. Nonetheless, their thinking has evolved in many positive ways.
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Hey there! I know this is kind off off topic but I was wondering which blog
platform arre you using for this website? I’m gettibg fed
up of WordPress because I’ve had problems with hackers and I’m
looking at options for another platform. I would be awesome if you could point mee in the direction of a good platform. https://tri1Ls.webflow.io/
Hey there! I know this is kind of off topioc but I was
wondering which blog platform are you using for this website?
I’m getting fed up of WordPress because I’vehad problems with hackers and
I’m lookin at optkons ffor another platform. I would be awesome if you could point me in the direction of a good platform. https://tri1Ls.webflow.io/
Hi, yes!! So I used hostinger to buy my domain and then used WordPress to build my site. But I will recommend some others other than WordPress:
1. Six
2 Weebly (pretty easy to navigate)
3. CMS
4. Webflow
5 Mozello
6. Blogger (that’s a really good one)
These are my recommendations.
I like WordPress but I have been experiencing some trouble with it. I made this website for a college multimedia project.
It’s not very good, though 😂