An internet celebrity has been slammed by the public after he posted an article on Sina Weibo on June 26, in which he claimed that foot binding, a banned practice that jeopardizes women’s health, is actually beneficial for the females.

In his controversial article, Liu Ping, a Shenzhen-based interior designer, denounced the public aversion toward foot binding, noting that such a practice can protect women, and is an outcome of the “civilized culture of the Han people.”

“The true purpose of foot binding is to exempt women from the toil of physical labor. It aims to promote the [traditional value] that ‘men should till while women should weave.’ Most women from Europe, Asia, and America are forced to endure heavy physical labor, yet only Chinese women can escape from such fate due to the foot binding tradition,” said Liu.

According to Liu, foot binding might be painful at first, but such practice can ensure that a woman will never “suffer” heavy physical work. He also claimed that rather than liberate women, the modern women’s movement in China enslaved them by abolishing the practice.

Liu’s controversial comments have stirred up a fierce debate online, drawing mixed reactions from the public. The article had garnered over a million views before it was removed, with many public figures calling Liu “a sociopath who disrespects basic human rights.”

“Such remarks are definitely the dregs of feudalism. I’ve an urge to remold the writer’s [ideology],” wrote Jiang Nan, a famous writer with over 3.5 million followers on Sina Weibo.

“I’m utterly shocked by the writer’s idea to mishandle women. A woman with bound feet was limited in her ability to participate in politics or ordinary social life. They became men’s accessories due to their restricted mobility. I see no point in celebrating such an appalling tradition,” one internet user wrote.

Some other agreed with Liu, praising him for his “avant-garde” opinion.

“I think Liu’s idea is quite unique. I’m not saying foot binding is good, but Liu has offered us a different angle to interpret a tradition that has been long-spurned by the public,” a netizen wrote.

Foot binding was the custom of applying tight binding to the feet of young girls to modify the shape of their feet in ancient China. Such practice often results in lifelong disabilities, restricting women to their homes. The practice was abolished in the early 20 century.