The 3-day Cultural Exhibition of Chinese footwear opened in Changsha on March 27.

   
The exhibition displays more than 70 pairs of shoes representative of various periods in Chinese history, from Pre-Qin times (before 248 BC) to the republican period (1911-1949), in eight major categories, including royal-style shoes, ancient leather shoes, hand-embroidered shoes and straw sandals.
   
Shoes were generally referred to as "footwear" in ancient China, and, like all apparel, carried great cultural significance. Pictured, royal-style shoes.

(Chinanews.cn March 31, 2005)