31 unthinkable pictures of the "lotus legs" of Chinese women

In the 10th century, one of the most monstrous “aesthetic” traditions in the history of mankind appeared in China - leg bandaging, which turned an ordinary female foot into what the Chinese affectionately called the “lotus leg”. Girls began to bandage their feet from 4-5 years old. For 5 years of brutal suffering, an ordinary leg turned into a limb with a length of not more than 10 cm and the girl was taught to walk properly. After a couple of years, the young Chinese woman could be married. The act of love with such a girl was called very poetically - "a walk between the golden lotuses."

Despite the fact that not all Chinese women were supporters of such inhuman aesthetics, the tradition of bandaging continued for as long as 10 centuries. Such legs were considered incredibly beautiful.

The "lotus" legs were so popular that future mother-in-law and mother-in-law initially learned about the feet of a potential bride. Other virtues of the girl were relegated to the background.

The legs, which underwent bandaging, were considered the most important virtue of the young Chinese woman.

Bandaging their daughters' legs, mothers told them what a wonderful, rich and enviable spouse they could get thanks to these monstrous torments.

One of the Chinese writers described 58 types of "lotus" legs and even came up with a 9-point rating scale for them. In addition, he divided them into types (lotus petal, young moon, slender arch, bamboo shoot, Chinese chestnut), classifications (divine, wondrous, etc.) and highlighted special characteristics (grace, plumpness, softness, etc. .)

Even those girls whose feet received the highest praise from such connoisseurs were constantly under pressure from a list of bans. For example, it was strictly forbidden to walk with raised fingertips or to move legs during rest, it was not allowed to move with briefly weakened heels.

But the same writer warns his male readers: "Do not remove the blindfolds to look at the naked legs of a woman, be satisfied with the appearance. Your aesthetic feeling will be offended if you break this rule."

“Lotus” feet caused not only aesthetic pleasure among representatives of the Chinese people, but also became objects of sexual dreams and fantasies of men.

Representatives of the stronger sex of ancient China enthusiastically indulged in dreams of exposing such legs.

It is worth noting that the feet, tightly tightened with bandages for many years, led to other disorders in the female body. Due to improper load distribution, severe swelling appeared on the hips and buttocks, which was also considered by Chinese men to be very beautiful and sexy.

In short, women achieved the “ideal of beauty” by inflicting irreversible injuries on their bodies.

Some even broke bones. After that, they could never walk normally or even stand.

It is impossible to say exactly when exactly this terrible tradition was born.

One legend says that one very elegant and sophisticated aristocrat who once ordered shoes in the form of tiny golden lotus flowers was to blame for everything.

To fit a leg in them, this woman bandaged her feet and danced in new shoes, swaying and taking very small steps. This moment is considered the birth of a marvelous custom and beauty standards.

Besides mutilated legs, aesthetic standards were fragility, pallor, delicate skin and a high forehead.

Girls shaved part of their hair along the forehead to make their face more oval.

The fragility of the physique was achieved by bandaging the chest in girls from 10 years of age. Thus, the mammary glands stopped developing and growing.

No one paid attention to the health of young Chinese women. The main virtue was grace.

It was customary to say about girls who, due to foot bandage, lost the ability to move around without assistance, "They are like reeds that sway from the wind."

Often such women were "transported" by servants. Sometimes they helped their mistresses take several steps.

Bandaged legs, as has already been said, have never been laid bare in public. This was done in rare cases during the washing of the feet, which for different ladies could occur with an interval of a week or a year.

The feet were washed, treated with special alum, poured with perfume and wrapped back.

This process was considered so mysterious and intimate that a girl could easily lose her feelings or even give her soul to God if a man saw her bare "lotus" leg.

Interestingly, the French designers who designed the pointed heeled boats called them "Chinese shoes."

For those who want to at least for a moment feel the hellish torment of Chinese girls, we found instructions for bandaging the "lotus" legs. It looks like this:

It will take a piece of fabric 3 meters long and 5 cm wide.
Find a pair of baby shoes.
The toes (except the big one) should be bent to the foot and wrapped with a cloth first, and then the heel. Stretch your fingers and heel as close as possible and wind the remaining fabric around the foot.
You need to squeeze your feet into children's shoes and try to walk around.