On the shores of Lake Lugu, the Mosuo princess

Author: Feng Xuemin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-06-01
Features: This book takes you to explore this fascinating land of the daughters! The Mosuo people (a branch of the Naxi ethnic group) live on the shores of Lugu Lake. Their residential buildings are traditional well-structured wooden houses, woven from square timbers. The roofs are covered with wooden planks, each measuring about 0.8 meters in length and 0.2 to 0.4 meters in width. Inside, the home is centered around a hearth, with spaces for the elderly and young children nearby. Another two-story building serves as guest quarters, where young adults and their An Zhu (friends) reside. Due to historical reasons, the Mosuo people still retain the An Zhu marriage system, which reflects early pair marriage characteristics, as well as some traits of the matrilineal clan system. This marriage can last for decades or as short as one or two days in terms of duration, and can involve one or more partners in terms of quantity. An An Zhu relationship is voluntary to form and easy to dissolve—parties simply cease interaction to end the bond. This is matched by a family structure composed of matrilineal relatives bound by blood ties, where all property is inherited by members of the maternal lineage, and children remain with their mothers, carrying her surname. Men hold the roles of maternal uncle or maternal great-uncle. Women are the heads of the family and production management, enjoying a revered status.
As a child, I often mistook her for my mother—her figure was too familiar, yet she remained kind and approachable. From her, I learned the greatness of life—after each struggle session, she would straighten up, roll up her sleeves, and go straight to the fields, as if no misfortune had ever occurred. Only when I met Xiao Shuming did the other side of my personality emerge. She made me realize how harsh the world could still be. I hope Xiao Shuming’s days go well, and I hope the people of this land of daughters have better lives.
—An Zhu Culture Ambassador Yang Erche Namm