The Mosuo people
They live by Lugu Lake at the junction of Yunnan Province and Sichuan Province. They are known for their matrilineal society and visiting marriage system.
The Mosuo people have a matrilineal social structure. Women play a dominant role in the family. Family members mainly include mothers, daughters, sons, and maternal uncles and other matrilineal relatives. In a Mosuo matrilineal family, only members of the same matrilineal blood are considered family, including mothers, daughters, sons, and maternal uncles. "Fathers" and "wives" are outsiders. In Mosuo families, property is inherited matrilineally, and men are only responsible for raising the children of their sisters.
The Mosuo people do not have a traditional marriage system but practice a custom called "
visiting marriage". In this system, men and women do not form a fixed family but maintain a relationship through visiting. Mosuo couples in visiting marriage do not live together all year round. Even if they have a "spousal" relationship, they meet at night and part in the morning.
The original religion of the Mosuo people is called "Dabaism", which has a close connection with the Dongba religion of the Lijiang Naxi people.
The Mosuo people are good at singing and dancing. The popular "Jiacuo Dance" (commonly known as "Dajiao"), which means dancing for a wonderful time, is a beautiful dance.
