During the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), foot-binding became an established custom and spread throughout eastern China. Soon, every ethnic Han Chinese woman of any social standing was expected to have lotus feet. Beautifully embroidered and jeweled shoes for bound feet became popular, and men sometimes drank wine from women's footwear.
When the Mongols overthrew the Song and established the Yuan Dynasty in 1279, they adopted many Chinese traditions-but not foot-binding. The far more politically influential and independent Mongol women were completely uninterested in permanently disabling their daughters to conform with Chinese standards of beauty. Thus, women's feet became an instant marker of ethnic identity, differentiating Han Chinese from Mongol women.
The same would be true when the ethnic Manchus conquered Ming China in 1644 and established the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). Manchu women were legally barred from binding their feet. Yet the tradition continued strong among their Han subjects.
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