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Bound feet were a symbol of beauty in China, and finding a husband was deemed incredibly difficult for Chinese women whose feet were left unbound. Also, foot binding made your feet look "feminine" and small.
- Works Cited-
Mao, John. "Foot Binding: Beauty And Torture." Internet Scientific Publications. N.p., 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2015.

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One of the most popular stories about the origin of the practice is a tale of deer girl from India.  In this story, a deer gave birth to a very beautiful girl but this girl had the feet of a deer; and her feet only enhanced her beauty.  As she gracefully walked, wherever she went, she left impressions of lotus flowers on the ground. Thus, the shoes that women wore to cover their bound feet were called Lotus Shoes.  Many years after this tale spread and gained importance, it was believed that an emperor in southern China named Li Yu, was believed to have started binding the feet of his dancers to resemble those of the deer girl.  He thought that this would enhance the grace and beauty of his dancer.

- Works Cited-

Wagner, Ann. "For Beauty’s Sake: The Practice of Footbinding in China."For Beauty’s Sake: The Practice of Footbinding in China China History Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2015.

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Foot binding was outlawed because "Aside from severe and unnecessary pain, foot binding also presented a high risk of infection, paralysis and even muscular atrophy. It is therefore clear to see why this practice was appalling to missionaries who served in China in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many efforts were made to bring about a drastic social change that would wipe out foot binding entirely."

-Works Cited-

Dutkiewicz, Rebekah. "The Chinese Tradition of Foot Binding." The Chinese Tradition of Foot Binding. N.p., Spring 2009. Web. 08 Dec. 2015.

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Below is a comparison of a normal foot compared to a foot that has constantly been foot binded.

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Here you can see how tiny the painful shoes were.

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Once a foot had been crushed and bound, the shape could not be reversed without a woman undergoing the same pain all over again.

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The process had to begin in childhood when a girl was 5 or 6 . These wrappings were briefly removed every two days to prevent blood and pus from infecting the foot.

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1. A bandage, ten feet long two inches wide, was wrapped around the feet tightly.

2. Every day, the bandage was arranged in a tighter fashion while the girl was forced to wear a smaller and smaller shoe.

3. The feet must be manicured on a daily basis.

4. After three years of this constant pain lead feet that were essentially dead and utterly useless but tiny and petite.

-Works Cited-

"CHINESE FOOT BINDING." CHINESE FOOT BINDING. N.p., n.d. Web. 08

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Foot binding is a ancient tradition passed down mother to daughter for 1,000 years.