The Last Woman To Follow China’s 1000-Year-Old Foot-Binding Tradition Shows The Damage Done
Foot-binding, as it is known, was first carried out 1,000 years ago. It was normal for centuries, until being finally outlawed in 1911.
It was adopted among courtesans after a Tang Dynasty emperor fell in love with a mistress who had tiny feet and wrapped them in silk when dancing.
The practice became the norm amongst upper-class court performers, but it soon spread to all classes.