Foot-Binding Tradition

The origin of a foot-binding tradition called lily feet is uncertain. But it is believed that it appeared during the Five Dynasties (907–960).
According to legend, a king asked a lady-in-waiting named Ruiniang to bind her feet and dance on a golden lotus flower, so it was called three-cun lily feet. After that, the custom of foot-binding emerged. But this custom ceased after the founding of New China, and shoes for lily feet entered the museums.
(Source: Chinese Shoe Culture Museum)