why did the chinese bind womens feed?

Answer 1

a thing of honor. you see in China woman were seen to be dainty and delicate. Gentle symbols of grace and eligance. And they thought that small feet were of that nature. I feel badly for them. seeying as how it was hard for them to walk.

Answer 2

Each culture has its own ideals of beauty. In China, a small foot was considered beautiful and also a symbol of divinity (also the upper class). Since it's not natural to have feet that small, when a baby girl was born, her feet were immediately bound tightly with cloth, inhibiting natural growth. The Chinese were not the only culture to practice such rituals; the ancient Mayas in the Americas used to bind planks of wood to the heads of thier children, so that the result by adulthood was a cone-shaped head. Some Westerners find that wierd, but we have to remember that we too practice "wierd" treatments to make ourselves more beautiful to others (plastic surgery). Each culture is different, and not one is better than the other.

Answer 3

The origin of this practise is a bit unclear, but it is agreed that foot-binding began in the eleventh century. In one instance, it is said that there was an Empress with a foot deformity that the court attempted to follow. In another instance, it is said that during the reign of an Emperor in the Sung Dynasty, the court dancers, who moved so delicately upon the petals of lotuses had such tiny, dainty feet that resembled a golden lotus. The dainty feet became a highly eroticised symbol of femininity and grace.

Answer 4

Everyone else seems to have the answer here, so I'll just add a comment:

I wasn't just Chinese people who saw tiny feet as delicate and beautiful.... Does anyone recall the tiny glass slipper that only fit Cinderella's tiny feet and not those giant feet of those ugly step-sisters?

Cinderella was created to be pretty and nice and kind and hard-working and all kinds of other virtuous things that made her "princess-material"; while those step-sisters were created as nasty and ugly and big-footed. Gee, maybe those step-sisters should have borrowed a page from the Chinese people's book.

Answer 5

Island's answer sounds authentic. It's one of those cultural things, like big breasts in America. The definition of beauty varies from culture to culture. Tiny, delicate feet and the gait that such women were forced to adopt were considered marks of beauty. It may also have been indicative of class and status, in the same way that long fingernails were. Peasant women could not afford to bind their feet because they had to be able to work in the fields. Only wealthy, high-status women could afford to cripple themselves in this way.

Answer 6

They practiced the binding of feet for the reason of beauty. There belief was that small feet was a thing beauty Ouch.

Answer 7

The chinese have not achieved this in additional than a number of a year. those with sure ft had to commence in early teens. they could no longer walk, yet ought to shuffle slowly. I examine sure ft ought to stink horribly and the little slippers had to stay to inform the tale for all time. it really is what you truly desire? that's basic to work out why she cheated on you. you're not any further well worth a lot.

Answer 8

it was abt honour and grace.

as one metioned above, only the rich (and royals) can afford to have their feet bind. since these ladies wouldnt need to work with their maids and servants around. they needn't walk very much too. the small feet was supposingly to be a symbol of lady-like.

but most important of all, with the tiny feet it made the way these ladies walk very "sexy". because they would have to "sway" to walk in order to keep their balance (imagine you having to walk tiptoe)..

thats why in the Qing dynasty, the royal ladies' shoes are flat-soled balanced on a cube.

Answer 9

You mean FEET, because they thought small was feminine so they did painful and crippling procedures and rituals to make them in a forcing way be very tiny. They thought it was beautiful. But it is really wrong, not right and sexist. Some had no choice but to be forced to be small! Imagine that! Yikes!

Answer 10

It was a symbol of beauty and sexuality--just like large breasts are considered in America. Bound feet were seen as dainty and delicate.