JULY 2014
14
Several men and women are still alive in China who have been affected by China's ancient foot-binding tradition; a tradition that exemplified social norms and their affect on people's well-being and health.
For nearly a decade, Jo Farrell, a British photographer, has been documenting the endangered "traditions and cultures" around the world. As a highlight to her career, the Huffington Post recently reported and showcased her portraits of Chinese men and women who have become unable to walk, drive, stand, or travel because of their bound feet.
But where did this tradition begin? And, more importantly - why?
For thousands of years, curved and tiny feet were considered the ultimate standard of feminine beauty in China. In fact, the standard caused over three billion women to bind their feet, despite the process being long and painful.
Though there are many stories about the practice's origin, of the most popular and accepted starts with Emperor Li Yu in 970 A.D. who was intrigued by a dancer's small, ribbon-wrapped feet. To him, the dancer's choreography seemed more graceful with her small feet. Seeing the Emperor's admiration for the dancer. other court maidens began wrapping their feet. Then, upper-class women did the same and the practice soon became a symbol of status and prestige.
After some time, the tradition began to morph. It was no longer "simple" binding with small amounts of ribbon. Chinese women continued to want smaller and smaller feet. The foot-binding process was created and standardized to create 3-inch feet. The practice thrived for around a thousand years and was finally outlawed in 1912 after the Revolution of Sun Yat-sen. However, secret societies of foot-binding women still existed until the 1950s.
by Kate Avino