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Located on the magnificent Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in the southwest border of the mainland, a dazzling plateau pearl -- Lugu Lake -- shines brightly! This intoxicating lake and mountain scenery has been guarded by a mysterious and ancient ethnic minority -- the Mosuo people, for generations.
The Mosuo people, a tiny ethnic group of just over 50,000 people, have lived in the mountains and mountains isolated from the outside world for generations, inheriting a unique matrilineal social system and "walking" marriage customs.
In the Mosuo tribe, known as the "daughter country", the power of the family is firmly in the hands of women, especially the grandmother, who is the head of the family, who has the final say on the affairs of the family.
The grandmother lived in the main house, known as the "grandmother's house", which was a sacred place for the whole family to share food, worship ancestors, and receive distinguished guests. The high status of grandmothers stems from the long-standing social and cultural traditions of the Mosuo clan matrilineal clan.
In the long course of history, in order to cope with the barren and difficult living environment, the Mosuo people gradually formed a family organization model based on matrilineal blood. A female-dominated family can maximize the integration of the resources of the entire family, so as to ensure the survival and reproduction of the entire ethnic group.
The size of the family and the thriving population were the key factors in the Mosuo people's survival.
The unique marriage custom of "walking marriage" is a product of the matriarchal social system. In the Mosuo people, young men and women do not need to have a grand wedding after they have fallen in love with each other, but only need to climb through the window and enter the bedroom of their favorite woman at nightfall, and spend a sweet evening with her.
The next morning, the man would quietly leave and return to his original home, where he would continue to live an independent life.
On a sunny afternoon, on the shore of Lugu Lake, young Mosuo men and women held hands, looking at each other and smiling as they worked hard by the lake. With deep and moving singing and beautiful dancing, they warmly and implicitly express their love to their lovers in their hearts.
The girl in the national costume has an innocent smile on her face, and her eyes are full of youthful vitality, while the brave and vigorous young men gaze at her with affectionate eyes, hoping to win the favor of the other.
When the two hearts are finally connected, they can embark on this mysterious journey of "marriage". Before this special moment, the man must carefully prepare a gift full of affection, and then walk into the woman's warm home with such a sincere heart, and officially express his admiration for her in the form of a plug.
Women often can't wait to share the joy with their families with these precious gifts, and take this rare opportunity to announce to their relatives and friends that they are about to embark on the road of "marriage" and spend a good time in life together.
Therefore, the "walking marriage" of the Mosuo people is by no means a rash and casual act, it is based on a solid foundation of deep love between the two parties. If anyone dares to rush into a woman's boudoir in the dead of night, a fierce punishment awaits him.
Only with the woman's sincere approval can the man quietly climb through the window and enter the beloved bedroom's bedroom at nightfall, with mixed feelings of nervousness and anticipation.
Under the bright moonlight, the beautiful melody of love is gently blown, and this romantic story is sung in the mountains. The sound of the gourd flute played by the natives is melodious and far-reaching, and the old fisherman in the lake will also be touched by this touching picture of love, showing a kind and kind smile.
Although the Mosuo "walking marriage" system seems to be quite unique, after the walking marriage, the lifestyle of both men and women is not as profligate as the outside world thinks. In fact, after the marriage, the man spends only a short night in the woman's house, and the next morning, he will leave silently and return to his original family life.
Only when he misses his lover will the man quietly walk to his sweetheart's window and whisper her name, eager to meet her again. In this "offshore" state, both parties still maintain their own independent living circles, and the man does not need to share any responsibility for the woman's household chores.
The child conceived by the marriage is brought up entirely by the woman's family, and the man is not obligated to do so. From an early age, children affectionately call their mother's sisters "Mama" and are treated with the same respect as their biological mothers.
In the Mosuo people's view, the real authority of the child is actually the uncle, who enjoys supreme power in the family, and even if the child's biological father wants to discipline the child, he must first seek the uncle's approval.
Therefore, the Mosuo people often say that "the eagle soaring in the sky is supreme, and the uncle running on the ground is incomparably majestic" is the best interpretation of their respect for the core status of their uncle's family! When they gradually grew up, they took on the heavy responsibility of taking care of the huge mother's family and providing the necessities of life for the uncle's family.
In contrast, the matriarchal society of the Mosuo people gave women supremacy and status. Even when the marriage breaks down, both parties still have the freedom to find a new partner, and no one will blame or ridicule it.
However, for the Mosuo people, the separation of the family is like a serious offense to the elders, a departure from the entire family.
Over time, the living environment of the Mosuo people has undergone earth-shaking changes. Some Mosuo people began to step out of the isolated mountains and forests and plunge into the torrent of modern civilization.
Their way of life is also gradually moving closer to modernization, and it is no different from ordinary families, and the traditional matrilineal family and "walking marriage" customs are facing a decline in fate.
However, in the vast land of the southwestern border of the motherland, there are still many Mosuo people who stick to the beautiful Lugu Lake, inheriting the ancient traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. Nowadays, their "walking marriage" custom has been recognized and protected by the law, and they can go to the civil affairs department to register their marriage and receive the red marriage certificate that symbolizes love.
However, despite the protection of this law, the actual lifestyle of the parties to the marriage has not been greatly affected. The man and the woman still maintain their own independent living circles, and the custody of the child is still firmly in the hands of the uncle, and the man does not have to bear any responsibility in the child's life.
For those Mosuo women who choose to marry into a foreign family, they will not hesitate to respect and love their husband's mother as their own mother, which fully demonstrates the high respect of the Mosuo people for matrilineal blood.
This respect for their mothers has long been deeply imprinted in their hearts and has become an indelible national spirit.
While the Mosuo's seemingly "open" marriage and love practices may raise questions about their morality, in reality, the extent to which they value ethics is breathtaking.
During the continuation of this unique intimate relationship, we see that the sanctity and solemnity of marriage are unreservedly guaranteed. These Mosuo people have always adhered to the supremacy of monogamy and absolutely avoided any form of infidelity or bigamy.
It's amazing to have such strong values!
What is even more amazing is that the Mosuo people are deeply in awe of the "shy taboo". It is strictly forbidden to talk about pornography in front of any relatives in their daily lives, and even in front of their mothers, the word "father" is not allowed to be easily pronounced, otherwise it will be regarded as a great disrespect for their elders.
Such a high degree of self-discipline allows them to always maintain a reserved and dignified attitude when dealing with intimate issues.
In addition, the Mosuo people are brave and tenacious, and the men are affectionate and generous. In such a family environment, serious conflicts or disputes rarely arise. This united and harmonious family atmosphere stems from the unique matrilineal family model of the Mosuo people.
In a female-led family, family cohesion is maximized, which promotes mutual understanding and tolerance among members.
Even under the tremendous impact of modern society, the Mosuo people still attach great importance to family ethics. After the end of the "walking" relationship, both parties are still free to seek a new partner, but before entering into a new "walking" relationship, they must first formally dissolve the previous marriage and resolutely prevent bigamy or adultery by either party, so as to preserve the dignity and glory of the family.