Why is the custom of women's foot-binding more serious in Qing Dynasty than in previous dynasties?

Women's foot-binding is a painful memory in China's history. Foot-binding has been handed down from generation to generation since the rise of the Northern Song Dynasty, especially in the Qing Dynasty, and is called "Three-inch Golden Lotus".

Regardless of the north and south of the river, regardless of status, you can see the figure of a woman with trembling feet. In contrast, foot-binding is more common in northern provinces such as Zhili (now Hebei), Shandong, Shanxi and Shaanxi.

1900 American photographer Lee Carlton photographed a woman in Shanghai, and he paid four silver dollars for it. Small feet are one of the elements of western curiosity.

Foot-binding has become an aesthetic phenomenon in Qing Dynasty. Fang Xuan, who calls herself "Dr. Xiang Lian", wrote a monograph on female foot binding, Xiang Lian's Spelling. He said in it, what kind of feet are the most beautiful? Fat, soft and beautiful, "fat is full of water, soft and gentle, beautiful." However, fat is not in the meat, softness is not in the body, and beauty is not in the shoes. And fat and soft, or you can ask for it yourself and show it, but meet with God. "

Foot binding destroys women's bodies. They are usually short, rickety and unstable. At that time, it was popular in society that men didn't marry women with small feet, and big feet were a disgrace to a woman and even a family.

Of course, one thing needs to be explained. Although foot-binding reached its peak in the Qing Dynasty, there were still two groups that did not bind their feet. The first group is Manchu and other minority women. They originated in the border mountains and forests and traditionally lived by hunting. They never had the tradition of foot-binding, nor did they accept the "Jin Ping Mei Aesthetics" of the Han nationality after entering the Central Plains.

1900- 19 10 Manchu female, with plump feet and "horseshoe shoes".

The second is a Hakka woman. Hakkas (Hakkas are also Han Chinese) are mainly distributed in Guangdong, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangxi and other places. Most women don't bind their feet, but some rich people may.

These provinces and regions are all over the mountains, rapids and beaches, and the living environment is bad. It is difficult for a family to make a living by agriculture alone. Men often go out to sea to make a living, while women not only have to do housework, but also have to shoulder part of the burden of supporting their families. If they wrap their feet, obviously they can't bear heavy work, and there is a possibility of starvation at home.