Mosuo Ethnic People

Mosuo people in Yunnan are part of the Naxi ethnic group, one of China’s 55 ethnic minorities. Mosuo people live near Lugu lake, at an altitude of nearly 2,700 meters above sea level. Lugu lake is surrounded by mountains, with Yunnan province to the west and Sichuan province to the east. Around the lake, there are over a dozen Mosuo villages.

Distribution of Mosuo Ethnic People

Mosuo ethnic people live in the northwest of Yunnan, at the Lijiang’s Lugu Lakeside on the junction of Sichuan and Yunnan, with a population of about 50,000. Lugu lake is famous for its unique Mosuo culture and beautiful landscape. The Mosuo people mainly live in the Ninglang County of Lijiang City in the east of the Jinsha River, as well as Sichuan’s Yanyuan, Muli and other counties. With the territory of Ninglang county, Mosuo people mostly inhabit in the Yongning dam by the lake. Culture and Customs of  Mosuo Ethnic People The Mosuo minority has its own language and culture, the most special one is their ‘walking marriages’. The concept for marriage, love, women, man and family is quite different from the traditional ones in other parts of China.

Walking Marriage Bridge of Mosuo Ethnic People in Lugu Lake

Luoshui Villages

Luoshui village, the largest Mosuo village around Lugu Lake, has pretty much become a tourist town. As more and more people come to visit from the outside, many of the residential houses along the lake have been converted to shops, hotels and teahouses. People can taste homemade fruit wine in Mosuo homes or simply have a cup of coffee or tea in a teahouse overlooking the lake. Local Mosuo people also share their daily lives with tourists in activities such as fishing and boating, while in the evening, visitors are invited to participate in the festivities as they dance around the bonfire.

More Mosuo Villages

Lige Village Nisai Village Daluoshui Village Xiaoluoshui Village Xiaoyuba Village Zhudi Village

Recommended Tours

2 Days Lijiang Lugu Lake Tour and Matriarchal Society Discovery 6 Days Lijiang Discovery Tour with Lugu Lake and Tiger Leaping Gorge 8 Days Lijiang Tour and Gemu Mountain Goddess Festival Tour At Lugu Lake 10 Days Yunnan Trekking Tour of Tiger Leaping Gorge and from Baoshan Stone Town to Lugu Lake 11 Days Yunnan Classic Tour with Holy Lugu Lake and Mosuo Matriarchal Society (Departure from Shangrila)

Cultural Heritages of Mosuo Ethnic People in Yunnan

Jiacuo Dance of Mosuo Ethnic People Mosuo Museum for Intangible Cultural Heritage

Inheritors

Aqi. Duzhi Panmi Tuoding Wang Ciding

Festivals of Mosuo Ethnic People in Yunnan

Lugu Lake Circling Festival Gemu Mountain Pilgrimage Festival

Keep Reading

Walabie Village Mosuo Ethnic Culture Protection Area in Yongning Town of Ninglang County, Lijiang Village of Mosuo Ethnic People in Yunnan Ethnic Villages, Kunming Mosuo Folk Museum in Lijiang Lugu Lake Culture in Lijiang