"Foot-binding is said to have been inspired by a tenth-century court dancer named Yao Niang who bound her feet into the shape of a new moon. She entranced Emperor Li Yu by dancing on her toes inside a six-foot golden lotus festooned with ribbons and precious stones."

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About Amanda Foreman

Amanda Foreman is a British-American biographer and historian. Her books include Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and A World on Fire, and she has also presented historical documentary work for television.

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