Chinese Foot-binding Culture Museum Foot-binding History

There were five steps of foot-binding, namely "try wrapped" "try tight" "wrapped tip" "wrapped thin" "wrap bend". According to historical records the most standardized "bound feet" may appear in the Southern Tang Dynasty. In the late Yuan Dynasty, there was even a concept of being ashamed with unbound feet. In the Ming Dynasty, foot-binding has an ethical sense in addition to "have a good marriage." In the Qing Dynasty, the ruler initially opposed the practice of foot-binding but it was difficult to stop as it was in the peak time, so the rulers had to cancel the ban in the 7th year of Kangxi Reign (1688). In the Republic of China, few people bind feet and do it in a rough and slight way. Until Sun Yat-sen in the Republic of China banned foot-binding, gradually few women bound feet. For these who had already bound feet, they took off bound cloth to relieve feet.