Lotus Gait (Bound Feet)

The "Lotus Gait" is the common translation of 步步莲花, an idiom that literally means "walk lightly as a lotus blossom". Here in Beijing, my neighbor is more than 80 years old, and she walks around only with the aid of a wheelchair, ever ready to give her support when her bound feet tire. Filmed November 28, 2009. Beijing.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• china
• beijing
• bound
• feet
• lotus
• gait
• tradition
• culture
• violence
• woman
• women
• rights
• 缠足

[BishtrainerTai16]

She doesnt look that old, and her feet look normal. Is this how they really walked, or someone pretending?

[jelybi]

@BishtrainerTai16 She's not pretending. She's probably in her early 80s, and no longer binds her feet. However, she wears special hand-sewn shoes, to accommodate her small feet; notice that she cannot bend her feet as she walks.

[Darienjohnsen]

@tweekee1 Omg, same!

I'm reading the book Sun Flower and The Secret Fan, and I wanted to learn more about foot binding as well. I love Ancient China and am in love with books about it. Would you recommend any other books by her?

[asdfasdfasdfasfasdfq]

Well, someone should tell her you're s'posed to sit in the chair and someone _else_ pushes it. Where's the cake?

[waivedwench]

@Darienjohnsen I'm reading her "Shanghai Girls" right now and I've just finished "Peony in Love."

[quiltsister]

@Darienjohnsen

I just finished reading Lisa See's Sunflower and the Secret Fan, which is a superb book. That's what brought me to look up foot binding. I grew up in the Philippines, which has a large Chinese population. I remembered seeing many Chinese women (in the 50's and 60's) with bound feet. Walking looks very painful. I cannot wrap my mind to thinking that lotus feet is sexy.

[1988alexandraioana]

this is OUTRAGEOUS!

[jozsefkacsa]

As many as 3 girls died from every 10 who had bound feet they would die from infections,blood poisoning gangrene lack blood flow It was a nasty painful thing and the foot smelled rotten.Poor girls

[maxandme56]

@Darienjohnsen The name of the book is Snowflower and The Secret Fan.

I was curious also, she described it well.

[DelinquentBilly]

@Un1234l High heels also make the butt look better :)

[Sublue]

@papercutpictures I'm not arguing. But thanks!

[BedazzleGlitterGal]

men rarely saw the horror under their tiny shoes and slippers..feet that look like hooves and stink not aplealing, thats why they never went feet naked!