Ching Annual Get Together

From Shanghai to Hawaii

with "Golden Lotus" Feet

1887-1968

Ching Lum Shee, Ching Chow's wife, was born in Namlong Village, Dai Chay Hamlet in Kwangtung Province, China. Her father had a steel factory in Shanghai and was a prosperous ship merchant. The family lived in Shanghai but her mother commuted to the village in Namlong whenever she gave birth so that she would have adequate help. Additionally, new mothers were placed on a strict diet of chicken soup cooked with wood fungus, ginger root, and rice wine and sweet-sour pigs' feet with sweet black vinegar and plenty of ginger root chunks. With this she had rice but absolutely no vegetables for one month.

Ching Lum Shee's mother was the second wife of her father. Ching Lum Shee was conceived in Shanghai as were her siblings. She was born in Dai Chay Hamlet and later mother and baby returned to Shanghai to rejoin the rest of the family who had many servants and cooks to care for them.

She grew up in Shanghai and as was customary in well-to-do families had her feet bound resulting in "golden-lotus" feet. Her feet were bound when she was about 8 years. Although binding the feet normally began when the girls were about six years old, the binding of Ching Lum Shee's feet was delayed because of the death of her father.

The extremely painful process began with long narrow strips of cloth wrapped tightly around the heel and four smaller toes which were folded under the sole. The bandages were tightened almost daily. The pressure of the bandages pulled the big toe and heel of the foot close together resulting in a very high arch.

Although Ching Lum Shee's bound feet measured almost five inches each, her two older sisters had smaller feet For them the binding began when they were only six years old resulting in feet that were barely two or three inches. When her eldest sister married her feet were the smallest of all the brides at that time. Having the smallest feet was an honor so her shoes were hung on display at the market place.

Specially made shoes were needed for these tiny feet. Colorful cotton and brocade material were used and beads and embroidery adorned the shoes. The girls themselves learned how to make these little shoes with intricate patterns and fancy designs. As they had ladies-in-waiting to care for them, the girls spent most of the day doing embroidery. Many patterns were passed around and the girls were also free to make their own designs. Beads and Pearls were used for party shoes.

"Golden Lotus" feet were considered erotic, graceful, and feminine. Well-to-do and refined girls were expected to endure the pain and crippling effects. As the toes were bent under into the flesh of the soles, toenails had to be clipped regularly. As Ching Lum Shee grew into adult hood her feet were unbound and measured nearly seven inches. Small black leather shoes with a buttoned strap at the top of each were ordered from Shanghai and satin shoes were used for dress wear only. Because of the disfigurement she walked around very daintily swaying from side to side.

In H.S. Tom's "Echoes from Old China", he theorizes that this custom of foot-binding probably began during the Tang dynasty around A.D. 900. It was not until the late 1800's and the emancipation of women in China that this painful practice began to disappear.