Meet the last of China's women to have her feet bound: 102-year-old subjected to ancient custom had her toes broken when she was just two-years-old
- Han Qiaoni's feet were broken and bound when she was a toddler
- Having small feet was seen as beautiful and a status symbol - often the only way for a woman to marry into money
- Custom was banned in 1912 but some children's feet were bound in secret
- Footbinding aimed to stop feet growing longer than three to four inches
Suffering for beauty: Han Qiaoni is thought to be one of the few remaining women in China with bound feet
A 102-year-old is thought to be one of the few remaining women in China who has bound feet.
Han Qiaoni, from Yuxian County in northern China's Shanxi Province, had her feet broken and bound when she was just two-years-old.
She says her mother used a long cloth to wrap her toes, minus the big toe, so they were bent pressed against the sole of her foot.
According to Han it took six months before she was able to walk properly and get used to the pain.
Millions of Chinese women bound their feet to turn them into 'three-inch golden lotuses' or 'San Cun Jin Lian'.
Having small feet was seen as beautiful and a status symbol - often the only way for a woman to marry into money.
The practice was first banned in 1912 but some families would have children's feet bound in secret.
Records show that footbinding dates back to the Song dynasty between 960 - 1279AD.
Li Yu, who ruled over China between 961-975 is said to have fallen in love a dancer who bound her feet to look like a new moon and performed a 'lotus dance'.
Over the following dynasties, footbinding became more popular and associated with the wealthy.
Girls living in the countryside felt that had to bound their feet to marry a rich man.
The first anti-footbinding committee was formed in Shanghai by a British priest in 1874.
It wasn't until 1912 that the practice was banned and by 1915 inspectors could issue fines to anyone who bound their feet.
It is believed around 40 to 50 per cent of Chinese women had bound feet during the 19th century however, all women born into the upper classses would have been subjected to the practice.
Around two million Chinese women are thought to have bound their feet and in some villages like Liuyicun it continued despite being outlawed.
However, despite it being a sign of beauty in China, some experts say it made women more dependent on men.
Footbinding aimed to stop the growth of feet so they would not grow longer than three to four inches.
A foot measuring a perfect three inches was called a 'lotus of gold' while four inches was considered silver.
Millions of Chinese women bound their feet to turn them into 'three-inch golden lotuses' or 'San Cun Jin Lian'
Children's bone is easier to break and mould which is why their feet were often bound from as young as two.
The ritual would begin with the clipping of toe nails and soaking of feet in hot water to soften the tissue and bones.
After the feet were massaged and doused with alum, all toes except for the big one would have been broken and folded under the sole.
Ancient custom: Han Qiaoni who had her feet bound when she was just two-years-old
Having small feet was seen as beautiful and a status symbol - often the only way for a woman to marry into money
Painful: The custom of bandaging feet began in the 10th century and was done so Chinese women could have a chance of marrying into money
Sexual: Bound feet were also highly erotic in Chinese culture, with sex manuals describing numerous techniques to make the feet perfect
The toes would then be bound into place with a silk or cotton bandage.
The bandage would be removed every two days to allow them to be washed to avoid infection.
They would then immediately go back on and often tighter then before.
Girls would be encouraged to walk long distances so their weight would crush their feet into shape.
THE PAINFUL ART OF CHINESE FOOT BINDING
Shoes: Girls would use smaller sizes of footwear until their feet had shrunk to around four inches long
Throughout history, women have tried many techniques to make themselves as beautiful as possible, but foot binding may have been the most painful and debilitating.
In 10th and 11th century China, girls from the upper classes would complete the practice, but it soon became a technique used by all young women in society.
In Guangdong in the late 19th century, for example,the eldest daughter of a lower-class family would have their feet bound if they were intended to be brought up as a lady.
Many young girls used it because it was a mark of beauty and were was one of the main avenues for women to find a husband in China or marry into money.
Women, their families, and their husbands took great pride in tiny feet, with the ideal length, being around 2.75 inches.
It was also very erotic in Chinese culture with Qing Dynasty sex manuals describing 48 different ways women's feet could be bound,
The process began when girls were between four and seven years old, before the arch of the foot had developed.
Their feet would be soaked in a warm mixture of animal blood and herbs. Afterwards their toe nails were clipped and they received a foot massage.
Every toe was then broken except for the big toe. The broken toes would then be held tightly against the sole of the foot while the arch was forcibly broken.
Respect: Chinese women with the smallest feet were given the greatest chance of living a life of luxury and wealth
The foot was then wrapped tightly in cloth. Every day the foot would be unwrapped and wrapped again with the girls being put into smaller and smaller shoes until their foot was about 4 inches long.
The process was mainly performed during the winter months, because feet were more likely to numb they would feel less pain as a result.
Many of the foot bones would remain broken for years, but would start to heal as the girl grew older.
However they were still prone to repeatedly re-breaking, especially during teenage years when the girl's feet were soft.
Since they could not balance securely, older women who had bound feet were less able to rise from a sitting position and were more likely to fall and break their hips and other bones.
Infection was the another common problem with toenails in-growing and becoming infected.
Sometimes, this would mean the girl's toes would have to be peeled back and removed completely.
In 1874, 60 Christian women in Xiamen called for an end of the practice and were supported by the Woman's Christian Temperance Movement in 1883.
Intellectuals in China also began to realise this practice did not reflect well upon the progress of the modern rising world, suggesting it weakened the nation.
In 1912, after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the new Nationalist government banned foot binding, but it was not until the Communists took power in 1949 that a strict prohibition was enforced.
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