Mosuo Culture

Where women rule ! ... by Simon & Katerina

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Today, the 'Peoples Republic of China' is described as both a burgeoning economic super power and a Communist State with a questionable human rights record.

In the South West China, however, despite the onslaught of male dominated Chinese culture, the Mosuo have managed to preserve their traditional matrilineal system, and, also, their highly controversial practice of - 'Visiting Marriage' !

Matriarchal strength...High

• Daughters are welcomed, accepted and loved. Killing of infants, abandoning babies, fatal neglect and trade with young girls are non existent in Mosuo society.
• Women and men are free to choose their sexual partners, based on love, not on a status and wealth.
• Women are seen as equal partners to men, and are able to make most of the major decisions in life.

Threats to the system...Medium

• Every year roughly 50,000 Han Chinese tourists visit Lugo Lake. Some say it is creating a superficial Mosuo culture just for tourists, and turning the area into a sex theme park.
• Prostitution, commercialism and patriarchal values from the rest of China are infiltrating into the daily lives of the Mosuo.
• Mosuo who travel outside to study very often leave the culture behind.

“If all the women leave, all the men would jump in the lake”, says one of the Mosuo boat men who rows tourists out to a Buddhist monastery in the middle of the lake.

“It is true, we do not marry, but we have long term relationships and feel we have equal rights. This is our culture; we do not feel it is unfair.”

The boatman then continues on another tack...

“The impression tourists get from our culture, however, is that relationships are casual and free, but this is not the true picture."

Are there any prostitute houses here ?

"Yes, up near the police station, but that is for Han Chinese only not for Mosuo."

The popular misconception that the Mosuo are promiscuous is often blamed on the famous Mosuo celebrity, Yang Erche Namu.

Namu became the first Mosuo to study at the Shanghai Music College. She then became famous as a singer and later as an outspoken model, writer and TV celebrity.

Despite these achievements, she continues to remind everyone that she is Mosuo and comes from the beautiful Lugo Lake, or 'Mother Lake' as she likes to describe it.

Although she dismisses her provocativeness as 'this is how I am', many Chinese men now see the Mosuo women as exotic, free and promiscuous.

We discover a few prostitute houses have really sprung up outside Da Luoshoi, so Simon goes to investigate.

He finds two Han Chinese businessmen drinking, and three scantily dressed girls sat behind the bar watching a Chinese soap. A policeman explains he has a child by one of the bar girls.

On questioning about a Mosou girl, the policeman says, “Ah… you want a Mosou girl, we will send for one”. It turns out, they can call on a number of Mosou girls from a nearby village.

The Mosuo number about 35,000, and most live close to Lugo Lake which is at 3000m altitude in the Himalayas.

The Mosuo have their own native religion called Daba, but most of them are now Tibetan Buddhists.

Until recently they have been an isolated minority, but, now, with the tourism industry booming, local Government has placed a toll of 7 dollars to enter the region.

Back in Da Luoshoi Katerina talks to Shama, who runs the family guesthouse ‘Home of the Goddess.’

“My mum is in charge of the family,” she says proudly, “I have a long term visiting husband from another big family here in Luoshoi and have one daughter with him”.

“All my family is traditional, they have not married anyone from outside. My friend’s family, however, have children who have studied outside and have married outsiders and left the culture.”

How will you keep your daughter traditional?

“I hope that she will go to study outside and will bring her husband back here. But, if she decides to stay there, what can I do ?"

"When you go to the University and learn lots of things, there is not much for you to do back here.”

Mosuo culture washing down the Yangtsi River.