Three Weddings and A Divorce

From Bound Feet to High Heels: Beijing Women in the 20th century

When were women first allowed to attend school in the capital? When was the tradition of bound feet abandoned? How did communism affect the idea of how a good woman should behave?

"Three weddings and a divorce" is the story of three women living in Beijing. Grandmother Zhang with "liberation feet", the retired office worker Sun, and Xue Rui, a career woman in her thirties. Between them they cover the last hundred years of Beijing's history. Through their lives, marriages, and one divorce we explore the transformation of the women's role in the capital of China. Based on Beijing Postcards own research, interviews, and a selection of historical photographs from our collection.

2 hours