History and Development of the Foot Binding
Foot binding was originated in the late Tang dynasty(618-907 CE), was first adopted by elite women. It came by the story called "Three Inch Golden Lotus Feet". Because of the Golden Lotus dance performance was deeply loved by the emperor Li Yu, so it became the fashion and the aesthetic ideal. People used its adherents as a status symbol to indicate their high social rank. And the practice was widespread to the wealthy and more severe during 12th century; girls' feet were bound so tightly and early in life that were unable to dance and had difficulty walking. By the 19th century, the practice transcended class, although families of lesser means would bind their daughters' feet at a later age than occurred in elite families due to the need for their daughters' labor. During the Qing dynasty(1644-1911 CE), foot binding became a marker of Han Chinese ethnicity, as neither the ruling Manchus nor other differentiated minority populations promoted the practice.