有一位西方汉学家记载过这样一件事:清末慈禧太后当权时,曾邀请一位西方人聊天。这位西方人说,他很看不惯当时中国女人的缠足行为,不知中国人为什么要如此残忍地损坏身体。慈禧虽也知道那是一种畸型的美,令人难以接受,但她一下子想不出辩解的理由。过了几天,她让一位在西方生活过多年的束过腰的青年女子到跟前来,吩咐她拿去束腰的箍带。第二天,这个女子就病倒了,感到浑身疼痛,不舒服。慈禧再与那位西方人会面时,就理直气壮地说,你们为了美而束腰,比我们为了美而缠足好不到哪里去! One western sinologist recorded such a thing: In the late Qing Empress Dowager Cixi, he had invited a Westerner to chat. The Westerner said he could not quite understand the footbinding behavior of Chinese women at that time and wondered why the Chinese people had so cruelly damaged their bodies. Although Cixi also knew that it was an aberrational beauty that was unacceptable, she could not think of a justification at once. A few days later, she brought a young, beaming young woman who had lived in the West for many years, and ordered her to take the hoops of her waistband. The next day, the woman fell ill and felt sore and uncomfortable. When Empress met with the Westerner again, she confidently said that you are good for the waist, better than for the United States, but we are not bound by foot!