Beauty requires sacrifice
Tradition to bent legs reigned in China for 1000 years, until it was banned buy Communists in the early 50’s.
They began to bent legs at age 4 and up to 12 years. It was a privilege of the rich, and in some areas also the poor. Terrible pain lasted for about 3 years, until the fingers are completely broke and wrap under the foot. Then the pain passed, and almost all can walk normally. However, many women could not walk far.
A girl without a wrapped foot could expect to be only a servant, while a girl with very small foot, even from very poor family, could get married well. Local matchmaker did not even ask about girl’s temper, can she cook, or how clever is she. They asked about her foot size.
Girls sewed shoes themselves. Each had 30 pairs or more, even the poor one.
Legs were not ever shown to anybody. Girls slept in the special shoes, which only husband could see. Bare feet were not seen by anybody.
When the Communists came and forced everyone to remove the bandages, it was even worse – without bandage the foot became to straighten with terrible pain, but never came to normal condition. Besides, girls were ashamed to have such legs – it was a sing of not civilized woman.
