Yang Shaorong loves shoes. Not just any shoes though. He loves ancient Chinese footwear and has more pairs than a woman could dream of owning. But, the million-yuan collection isn't just a hobby, it's a historical record of a unique custom, reports Xu Wei.

　　Jade, coins, calligraphy and paintings are popular subjects among collectors, but Yang Shaorong isn't impressed. He's got a foot fetish. He's not talking this season's line of Prada, Ferragamo or TOD'S either. Yang's foot fetish is so large that he opened a private museum to display his collection of ancient Chinese shoes.

　　Yang's biggest claim to fame is his unique assortment of ``three-inch golden lotus shoes'' that were once worn on the bound feet of Chinese women.

　　Yang's home on Hongzhong Road, also the Bailutang Ancient Shoes Museum, is a world of delicately sewn artworks. To keep up with the constantly growing footwear collection, he says he has moved his home many times.

　　``Collecting shoes is part of my life,'' says the 65-year-old member of the Shanghai Folk Literature and Art Society. ``Although it is a demanding hobby, my emotions are tightly entwined with it.''

　　Since the establishment of his private museum in 1992, Yang has invested several million yuan in the collection, which features about 1,000 traditional folk shoes including boots, clogs, cloth shoes, and certainly the most eye-catching and most talked about -- the three-inch golden lotus shoes.

　　Popular during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, three-inch lotus shoes reflect the history of foot binding in China -- once essential for a woman to be considered beautiful. The excruciatingly painful procedure even crippled some Chinese women. It was not until the Revolution of 1911 that the tradition was outlawed.

　　``Yang's collection is of great significance as it, to some extent, reproduces the history of thousands of years ago,'' says Wu Shaohua, a noted local collector and chairman of the Shanghai Collection and Appreciation Union. ``Undoubtedly, his lotus shoes shed light on foot binding, a subject rather unknown to younger generations.''

　　Covering most provinces in China, Yang's collection includes footwear from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126) up to modern-day China, embodies a variety of customs and folk cultures. For instance, embroidered lotus shoes from northern China feature simple designs while those from the southern area usually reveal more intricate and delicate styles.

　　Born into a wealthy family, Yang received a strict traditional education. His father, a painter in his spare time and art collector, has acted as a mentor for Yang, who has also developed artistic tastes of his own.

　　But his affinity for ancient Chinese shoes didn't start until the early 1980s.

　　``As an antique dealer then, I found that lotus shoes enjoy intricate design and the vivid patterns were popular among foreigners but the locals didn't seem to care,'' says Yang. ``To protect these characteristic handmade shoes, I embarked on a whole new experience that has been both arduous as well as joyous.''

　　You could say the shoes have walked all over Yang's life. He has been obsessed with them for more than two decades. In search of varied lotus shoes from different places, he has set foot in more than 20 provinces throughout China, receiving financial support from his antique store.

　　Yang's efforts haven't gone unnoticed. Thousands of people have been enchanted by his museum exhibition. Officers from foreign consulates in China also praise Yang's endeavors in cultural exchange.

　　Eva Ereroth, an administration officer of the Sweden General Consulate in Shanghai, says that Yang's incredible collection helped her understand a certain period of history better.

　　With in-depth research on ancient Chinese shoes, Yang found that the lotus shoes tell stories in their intricate needlework.

　　``Look,'' Yang points to a pair of tastefully embroidered shoes with lifelike patterns of a spider and butterfly. ``In ancient China, the sight of a spider in the morning is believed to bring good luck to the family and the butterfly is regarded as a symbol of true love.''

　　And the color and artistic intricacy represent the identity and social status of ancient Chinese women. Yellow symbolizes decency and royalty, and therefore, can't be worn by folk women.

　　As one of the few lotus shoes collectors in the world, Yang always plays an active role in holding symposiums and exhibitions on ancient Chinese shoes.

　　Nonetheless, some still misunderstand the collection and Yang's intentions.

　　Some argue that it's meaningless and improper to exhibit the shoes since foot binding was a decadent routine in ancient China.

　　But Yang sees differently.

　　``For me, there is huge historical and artistic value attached to these ancient shoes,'' Yang says. ``The lotus shoes are priceless proof to the great suffering ancient Chinese women endured from the old tradition and can prove educational to future generations.''

　　Due to its precious historical value, Yang's collection has attracted the interest of many buyers. Although he has been offered considerable sums of money, he always declines.

　　Not content with just collecting and displaying, the ``Shoe Man'' plans to publish his own research on ancient Chinese shoes in the near future.

　　``I long to carry forward our ancient customary culture with support from the government and the society as a whole,'' Yang adds. ``As long as I live, my hobby will go on and on.''