The Lotus Shoes locations with Jane Yang

Submitted: 26th January 2025

Welcome to the Lotus Shoes Tour with Jane Yang

Welcome to the seemingly wonderful world of the Lotus Shoes. A world of the muizai – the handmaidens – but there are dark undertones in a world that few girls can escape from…..

The Lotus Shoes Jane Yang

Map of locations of The Lotus Shoes

Foshan Liangs’ Garden

In 19th century China, almost all women, expect ones from the poorest families, had bound feet—the ideal foot length was about four inches. This, along with oppressive customs, forced women to live confined lives. Ladies (like Linjing Fong from The Lotus Shoes), spent most of their lives at home. Scenes from the first half of the story are largely set within the Fong residence, a fictional house inspired by the Foshen Liang Garden. This vast estate has several wings, an ancestral worship temple, three ornamental lakes and landscaped gardens. Its footprint is over 130,000 metres square. The rooms are furnished with antiques and period pieces. In particular, the moon gates, alcove beds and the hexagonal lanterns with red tassels, all made it into The Lotus Shoes. The grounds are well maintained, too. A visit here will immerse you into the Qing dynasty.

Me with the tour guide to HEP and a Celibate sister (c) Jane Yang

Map of locations of The Lotus Shoes

The Hall of Eternal Purity

The second half of The Lotus Shoes unfolds at the Hall of Eternal Purity. In the late 1800s, the introduction of industrial silk reeling led to an unexpected feminist movement where women rejected arranged marriages to join Celibate Sisterhoods. Using their collective wages, their built sanctuaries called Halls of Eternal Purity. By the 1930s, the great depression wiped out the silk industry and most of these celibate sisters migrated to Hong Kong or Singapore to become amahs (female domestic servants or nannies).

Hall of Eternal Purity (c) Jane Yang

Map of locations of The Lotus Shoes

Most of the sanctuaries have been demolished. However, in 2014, I found one near the Bruce Lee theme park in Shunde, China. I couldn’t locate a precise address but knew some of these sanctuaries were saved and preserved. With only the Chinese characters for Hall of Eternal Purity as a guide, I approached the locals for help. A young, cheerful taxi driver and a policeman went above and beyond to help me get there. But it was locked. We needed to engage a tour guide and she worked at the Bruce Lee theme park, a few kilometres away. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when she agreed to escort us.

Miniature figurines and lotus shoes(c) Jane Yang

Map of locations of The Lotus Shoes

Once inside, I was blown away by the wealth of material on display. In particular, a cabinet of miniature figurines that were once used as offerings during the Seven Sisters Festival. These inspired a pivotal event in The Lotus Shoes. The collection of antique clothing and décor were invaluable, too. To top it off, one of the last reminding Celibate Sister agreed to be interviewed.

Rack for cocoons (c) Jane Yang

Map of locations of The Lotus Shoes

Naguo Sidu Silk Museum

This place is a gem—the land around the museum mimics like a silk reeling settlement. So, this was the perfect model for the Chan village in The Lotus Shoes where the Celibate Sisters worked and lived. Inside the museum, I got a detailed tour of the equipment and even had the chance to try an antique reeling machine.

Silk Reeling equipment (c) Jane Yang

Map of locations of The Lotus Shoes

As part of their educational program, the museum continues to rear silkworms and make silk, using tradition methods. The most startling takeaway from this visit was the fishy smell of the boiled silkworms. It’s an unpleasant but vivid detail that I included into the story.

Yu Garden (c) Jane Yang

Map of locations of The Lotus Shoes

Yuyuan Garden

The expansive rockery gardens, pavilions and ornamental lakes at Yuyuan Garden are beyond picturesque! The traditional buildings around this garden are located in the northwest corner of the Old City of Shanghai. Walking around this district is an immersive step back in time. I often thought about my visit here as I wrote street scenes for The Lotus Shoes.

View from Victoria Peak_Hong Kong (c) Jane Yang

Map of locations of The Lotus Shoes

Victoria Peak

Part of the story travels to Hong Kong, but I can’t reveal more without giving away too much of the plot. Though I didn’t visit Victoria Peak for the purpose of researching The Lotus Shoes, I don’t think I could have written a critical scene in the story if I hadn’t been here. Victoria Peak is a major tourist attraction on Hong Kong island. The view is stunning—on a clear day, you can look across the skyscrapers and see all the way to the harbour.