Muji, the Chinese wooden shoes

Who does not know the Dutch Swedes? Who does not know the Japanese wooden sandals? Well, by now almost all of us, if we are mildly curious or are interested in other cultures, we know these elements, right? But did you know that the Chinese also used Wooden shoes? Well yes and I think they are a mixture of Dutch clogs with Japanese getas.

They were used in Wenchang County, Hainan Province, southern China. They are used, it must be said, because while they are at risk of extinction from modern leather or plastic shoes it is still possible to see people wearing these wooden shoes in the countryside. What are they called? Muji. According to legend a noble man from the kingdom of Jin, Jie Zitui, was exiled along with the king to another kingdom. When he returned he was secluded in a monastery in the mountains and did not want to go out any more. The military ordered the king to take him out of the mountains by burning the forests but Jie Zitui did not want to and he died clinging to a tree. The king was so sad that he cut down the tree and used the wood to make the first pair of Muji to remember him whenever he used it.

These practical wooden walking shoes have been used here for centuries in the muddy terrain of the county. The shape was changing until they were carved from a single piece of wood and decorated to make them more beautiful. Eventually they left China and became known in Southeast Asia, Korea and Japan.

Photo: via Cultural China