In the sublime Xiaoliangshan Mountains of Yongning
District of the Ninglang Yi Autonomous County is inlaid a
shimmering pearl - Lugu Lake. It is the native place of "The
Females' Kingdom" composed of the Mosuo people, a branch of the
Naxi nationality. "Lugu" means "falling into the water" in the
Mosuo language ("hu" means lake in Chinese.) Hence the name of the
lake.
Lugu Lake is located between Yunnan's Ninglang
County and Sichuan's Yanyuan County, with a total area of
77,700-odd mu, the space within the precincts of Yunnan being
41,400 mu. It is 2,685 m. above sea level, counting from the
surface of the water, and is therefore the lake with the highest
altitude in the province. Its average depth of water is 40 m., the
greatest depth being 90 m. Among Yunnan's lakes it stands only
second to Fuxianhu Lake in terms of depth of water. The water of
the lake is generally clean and green, with different shades of
colour: now turquoise blue, now sapphire blue, now white-gray,
simply beyond one's imagination. On the lake are the "pig-trough
boats" ("zhucaochuan") specific to the place. Teeming in the lake
are fine-scaled fish, carps and other species. The lake waters
flow eastwards to the Yalong River and finally into the surging
Jingshajiang River.
Lugu Lake is surrounded by high and sublime
mountains and is snowbound for over 3 months. Since the lake is
rather deep, a definite regulating influence is exerted on the
temperature of the lake shores. Therefore the surrounding
mountains abound in forest resources which afford an exquisite
beauty, much fresh air and charming scenery. At present it is one
of the places in China which is least damaged by human efforts and
best preserved in its natural features.
The shores of the Lugu lake is inhabited by the
Mosuo people who have peculiar customs and ways, up to now still
retaining remnants of matriarchal society. Men and women are not
united by wedlock, each living at the mother's home respectively,
yet keeping a casual cohabitation relationship. Thus the place is
called "A Quaint Realm of Matriarchy".
The male and female youth of the Mosuo people,
having fostered mutual love in the long period of productive
labour and social activities, begin to reciprocate "tokens". The
male party, in accordance with his economic conditions, presents
the female party with gold or silver ornaments, jade bracelets,
beads and silk threads, etc. The "tokens" returned by the female
party are generally some personal accessories which the other
party likes. Given such an affection on both sides, the seniors of
the male party would bring some "loquat meat", and some tea, sugar
or wine to pay a visit to those of the female party. Once
agreement is obtained from them, an axia (spouse) relationship is
established for the two. However, such relationship can also be
fixed without going through the above procedure. After this the
two parties continue to live in their own homes. The male "axia"
labours for his home in the daytime, and goes to the female "axia"
at night for cohabiting with her in her home. The family of the
female "axia" looks upon the male as one of its own members.
During the rush farming season, the male "axia" goes to the home
of the other party to help with work. Those who have fixed their "axia"
relationship call each other "azhu", which means "dear companion",
but never husband or wife. Therefore, it is not appropriate to
speak of "father", who instead is only referred to as "maternal
uncle". The female is predominant and is therefore the leader of a
family. With the Mosuos goddess worship and the remnants of the
matriarchal period, the Luguhu Lake area is indeed one of the rare
specimens of "The Female's Kingdom" in the world and a 'living
fossil of the matriarchal society hard to come by".
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