Sitting in her home, a traditional courtyard house, Wang Guifeng, 79, shows her uncovered bound foot. She had her feet bound when only a small child and is renowned for having the most beautiful lotus feet in the village. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

Wang Guifeng, 79, wraps a bandage around one of her bound feet. This acts like a support and keeps them in shape. She had her feet bound when only a small child and is renowned for having the most beautiful lotus feet in the village. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

Wu Liuying, 90, puts on her best 'lotus slippers' in a dark corner of her old courtyard house. She is the oldest surviving women in the village with bound feet. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

Wang Guifeng, 79, walks through her ancient village. Having bound feet makes the women walk in a particular way, a style that is learnt and practised since childhood. She had her feet bound when only a small child and is renowned for having the most beautiful lotus feet in the village. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

Wu Liuying, 90, puts on her best 'lotus slippers' in a dark corner of her old courtyard house. She is the oldest surviving women in the village with bound feet. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

Wu Liuying, 90, sits in her old courtyard house. She is the oldest surviving women in the village with bound feet. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

Wu Liuying, 90, is helped by a neighbour to leave her old courtyard house. She is the oldest surviving women in the village with bound feet and has trouble walking. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

Pi Guiqiong, 72, practises a dance routine with a pink scarf. She was a member of a famous dance troupe of women with bound feet from this village who performed regular dance performances all around the county She is unique because she has partially bound feet. Forced to bind them by her mother, her husband on returning from duty as one of Mao's Red Guards hated the ancient tradition and ordered her to unwrap them. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

Pi Guiqiong, 72, shows her partially bound feet making them slightly bigger. Forced to bind them by her mother, her husband on returning from duty as one of Mao's Red Guards hated the ancient tradition and ordered her to unwrap them. She was also a member of a famous dance troupe of women with bound feet from this village who performed regular dance performances all around the county. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

Yang Yang, a Chinese historian and writer from Liu Yi village whose 2001 book "Dancing With Little Feet" tells the stories of his mother and other bound-feet village women who formed a dance troupe. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

Xiong Xiufeng, 89, enters her ancient Chinese courtyard house as a younger family member leaves. She is one of three women left who still have bound feet. A few decades ago every women of her generation had bound feet. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

Xiong Xiufeng, 89, (front) and Zhu Xiaoqiong, 91 walk through their ancient village. They are two of three remaining women with bound feet in a village were every women who lived here had it. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

In an ancient courtyard house the three last suriving women with bound feet chat together. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

A lotus foot of one of the last three remaining women of this village next to a shoe box contacting souvenirs that she sells to the occaisional tourist that visits. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

Xiong Xiufeng, 89, enters her ancient Chinese courtyard house as a younger family member leaves. She is one of three women left who still have bound feet. A few decades ago every women of her generation had bound feet. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

Wang Guifeng, 79, sweeps the floor of her house as members of her family prepare vegetables to sell at market. She had her feet bound when only a small child and is renowned for having the most beautiful lotus feet in the village. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

Sitting in her home, a traditional courtyard house, Wang Guifeng, 79, puts on her tiny 'lotus slippers'. She had her feet bound when only a small child and is renowned for having the most beautiful lotus feet in the village. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

Sitting in her home, a traditional courtyard house, Wang Guifeng, 79, shows how she keeps her feet bound. She had her feet bound when only a small child and is renowned for having the most beautiful lotus feet in the village. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

The bound feet of Wang Guifeng, 79, sitting next to a neighbour. She had her feet bound when only a small child and is renowned for having the most beautiful lotus feet in the village. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.

Wang Guifeng, 79, holds a pair of her favourite shoes. She had her feet bound when only a small child and is renowned for having the most beautiful lotus feet in the village. In remote parts of the province several villages still have living in them women who have bound feet. Now very old, they are the last reminder of this ancient Chinese traditional.