Footbinding

http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=60839

Feet by Ye Xia oluan. They say lotuses blossom as she moves her feet But they can’t be seen underneath her skirt, Her jade toes so thin and slender, Imprinting her fragrant name as she pauses. Her pure chiffon skirt swirls in a dance, Steadfast as the new moon. Her light silk garment sways in soft, flowing motions, As she kicks her jade hook half-way up. [Consort Yang] lef t her stocking behind at Mawei, Adding to the remorse of the Tang emperor; At the banks of the Luo River the goddess treads elegantly, Bringing sadness to Cao Zhi.

In response to Ye Xiaoluan’s poem by Shen Yixiu.

They say she leaves her footprint on the green moss lightly,Only as she stands alone, lost in thought.He hears tinkling of jade ornaments from afar,Only because she shifts her bound feet slightly.The slender, slender feet, creating lotuses at every step,The Duke of Donghun cannot but be indulgent.The slim, slim socks as they move,Inspire the pity of Cao Zhi in his verse.As spring befalls the emperor’s garden,The fallen petals make a fitting companion.As she walks the treasure house in the moon,the fragrant greens become more lovely.

Childhood memories by Hu Shilan.

Remember those bygone days in the depth of my inner chambers,Fragrant pieces of jade adorned my tender skin.My little maid stood by me under canopy of flowers,So that my tiny shoes wouldn’t slip on moss so green.Little did I know that in mid-life I would have to roam around,Braving the scorching sun and furious storms.

"...Very rarely would a Chinese man ever see a bound foot without the white bandages covering it. He might know what every other part of the woman's body looked like, including the genitals. Her body was very real to him, but the feet were literally shrouded in mystery. ..." p. 107

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