Yongning Naxi's Azhu Marriage and Matrilineal Family

Author: Zhan Chengxiu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: "The Azhu Marriage and Matrilineal Family of the Naxi People in Yongning" is a classic masterpiece in ethnology and anthropology. The Naxi people are a nation with a long history and culture. Before the mid-1950s, a significant portion of the population in Yongning remained in the feudal landlord system and preserved the "Azhu" marriage, characterized by early couple marriage, as well as the matrilineal family structure it formed. This marriage form is one of the more primitive marriage systems preserved among China's ethnic minorities before the liberation. It still retains some examples of blood-related marriage, group marriage, and remnants of matrilineal clan communities, while gradually evolving toward monogamy. These characteristics make the Naxi people of Yongning a "living fossil" for studying early marriage forms. The author conducted several in-depth investigations into the local community's life and field research on Azhu marriage and matrilineal family between 1963, 1965, and 1976, conducting multiple surveys and visits based on these findings to compile this book. The book consists of 11 chapters, providing a detailed description and in-depth analysis of the basic conditions and development of marriage, family, and related cultural customs among the Naxi people in Yongning. After its publication, it attracted attention from people from all walks of life at home and abroad. Scholars, writers, and journalists from China and abroad flocked to Yongning for research, and works such as novels, reportage, news reports, and translations were published, further advancing academic research. "The Azhu Marriage and Matrilineal Family of the Naxi People in Yongning" is a classic masterpiece in ethnology and anthropology. The Naxi people are a nation with a long history and culture. Before the mid-1950s, a significant portion of the population in Yongning remained in the feudal landlord system and preserved the "Azhu" marriage, characterized by early couple marriage, as well as the matrilineal family structure it formed. This marriage form is one of the more primitive marriage systems preserved among China's ethnic minorities before the liberation. It still retains some examples of blood-related marriage, group marriage, and remnants of matrilineal clan communities, while gradually evolving toward monogamy. These characteristics make the Naxi people of Yongning a "living fossil" for studying early marriage forms. The author conducted several in-depth investigations into the local community's life and field research on Azhu marriage and matrilineal family between 1963, 1965, and 1976, conducting multiple surveys and visits based on these findings to compile this book. The book consists of 11 chapters, providing a detailed description and in-depth analysis of the basic conditions and development of marriage, family, and related cultural customs among the Naxi people in Yongning. After its publication, it attracted attention from people from all walks of life at home and abroad. Scholars, writers, and journalists from China and abroad flocked to Yongning for research, and works such as novels, reportage, news reports, and translations were published, further advancing academic research.