The Land Where Women Rule: Inside China's Last Matriarchy

Summary

The video explores the unique matriarchal society of the Mosuo people, living in a remote region of China near the Burmese border. It delves into their traditions, such as 'walking marriages' where women have multiple partners without formal marriage. The video highlights how women lead households, manage inheritance, and are the central figures of families, while men have lesser responsibilities. As the Mosuo culture faces modernization, young people are torn between tradition and the allure of modern life, raising questions about the future of their customs and gender roles.

Takeaways

• 🗻 The Mosuo people live in a remote area near Lugu Lake, on the border of China and Burma, in a matriarchal society where women hold power.
• 👩‍👧 In Mosuo culture, inheritance passes from mother to daughter, and family responsibilities are managed by women, while men play a less dominant role.
• 💏 The Mosuo practice 'walking marriages,' where women can have multiple partners and men visit their homes at night, without forming traditional family units.
• 🚗 Despite being remote, Lugu Lake is becoming a tourist destination, with Chinese tourists flocking to the area, leading to rapid modernization.
• 🍲 Mosuo families are largely self-sufficient, growing their own food and living off the land, although this way of life is changing with modernization.
• 👩‍🦳 The elder women in Mosuo families, especially grandmothers, hold significant power and respect in the family structure, overseeing major decisions.
• 🎨 The Mosuo are known for their intricate handicrafts, such as embroidery, which are sold globally, but younger generations are losing interest in these traditions.
• 🏞 Many Mosuo youth feel torn between their traditional matriarchal way of life and the allure of modern Chinese urban culture.
• 🛶 Men in the Mosuo society often feel less pressure since women manage household responsibilities, but they do contribute to communal life.
• 🌍 The future of Mosuo traditions is uncertain, with many younger members of the community leaving for city life, creating a potential disconnect with their cultural heritage.

Q & A

Who are the Mosuo people and where do they live?

The Mosuo people are a 40,000-strong tribe living in the foothills of the Himalayas, near the Burmese border in southwest China, around Lugu Lake.

What is unique about the Mosuo family structure?

The Mosuo family structure is matriarchal, where women are in charge of the household and inheritance is passed down from mother to daughter. Men do not have traditional father roles, and women often have multiple partners through 'walking marriages.'

What is a 'walking marriage' in Mosuo culture?

A walking marriage is a non-traditional relationship where Mosuo women can have multiple partners throughout their lives. Men visit the women at night and return to their own family homes in the morning, without living together.

How do Mosuo women become the head of the household?

Mosuo women become the head of the household through inheritance and responsibility. The matriarch, often the grandmother, holds the most power in the family, managing both the home and finances.

What roles do Mosuo men play in their families?

Mosuo men live with their mothers and sisters, taking care of their sisters' children rather than their own. Their primary roles involve supporting their maternal families, while women manage the household and family decisions.

How has tourism impacted the Mosuo way of life?

Tourism has grown in the Mosuo region, bringing modern influences, cars, hotels, and tourists to Lugu Lake. While tourism has increased interest in their culture, it has also led to commercialization and changes in traditional practices.

What challenges do young Mosuo face in preserving their culture?

Young Mosuo are caught between tradition and modernity. Many leave for larger cities, where they experience mainstream lifestyles. This shift threatens the preservation of their cultural practices, such as matriarchal family structures and traditional crafts.

How do Mosuo women balance their responsibilities?

Mosuo women work hard, managing households, taking care of children, and providing for their families. Despite the matriarchal structure, they bear significant responsibility, often working more than men, who have less pressure in relationships and household duties.

What does the 'walking marriage bridge' represent in Mosuo culture?

The walking marriage bridge is a cultural landmark where couples traditionally meet and date. However, it has become more of a tourist attraction, with fewer Mosuo using it for romantic purposes today.

How is Mosuo craftsmanship valued in modern times?

Mosuo craftsmanship, such as embroidery and weaving, is highly regarded, with products being shipped worldwide. However, younger generations are less interested in traditional crafts, as they seek better-paying jobs and opportunities outside their villages.

Outlines

00:00

🌄 Exploring China's Last Matriarchal Society

The narrator travels to the Mosuo tribe in southwestern China, near the Burmese border, to explore life in one of the world’s last matriarchies. The Mosuo, who practice Tibetan Buddhism, are unique for their female-led households, where inheritance passes through women, and relationships are characterized by 'walking marriages.' Despite its remote location, the area is now a popular tourist destination, changing the perception of this once-isolated community.

05:03

🏡 Walking Marriages and Family Dynamics

The narrator visits a local museum where they learn about the Mosuo's family structure and the role of women. Walking marriages allow women to have multiple partners without cohabitation, and inheritance passes through daughters. While the traditional lifestyle is still prevalent, tourism has introduced modern influences. The museum guide shares insights into how the Mosuo live, including the separation of the sexes and the lack of traditional father figures.

10:11

🚣 Romantic Traditions and Modern Realities

The narrator experiences a boat ride, a common first date among the Mosuo, and discusses the evolution of walking marriages. Men enjoy more leisure time, while women manage the household and family responsibilities. Despite the changing times, walking marriages remain common, and Mosuo men appreciate the relaxed nature of these relationships. However, modern influences are gradually altering these traditions.

15:13

🍲 Self-Sufficiency and Women's Roles

Luce, a local Mosuo woman, invites the narrator for dinner at her family home. The narrator observes the hard work that Mosuo women put into maintaining their households, including farming and cooking. Despite living in a matriarchy, women bear a significant share of the labor. The concept of supermarkets is new to the Mosuo, and most families remain self-sufficient, producing their own food. Traditional family structures ensure that women, not men, inherit property and manage family affairs.

20:13

👩‍🌾 Grandmothers: The Pillars of Mosuo Society

Older women, especially grandmothers, hold significant power in Mosuo families. After years of hard work, they are revered and play a central role in decision-making. The narrator meets Aqi Duzima, a renowned craftswoman, who explains the cultural importance of traditional Mosuo clothing and crafts. However, young people show less interest in preserving these traditions, as many are drawn to the modern world, posing a threat to Mosuo customs.

Keywords

💡Mosuo

The Mosuo are an ethnic group living near the foothills of the Himalayas in southwest China, close to the Burmese border. They are most famous for their matriarchal structure, where women hold significant power, particularly in family matters. The Mosuo culture is unique for its walking marriages and matrilineal inheritance, both of which are central themes in the video.

💡Matriarchy

A social system in which women, particularly elder women, hold primary power. In the Mosuo community, the matriarchal structure means that women lead the household, inherit property, and make key decisions. The video explores how this impacts gender roles, family structure, and societal expectations.

💡Walking marriage

A type of non-traditional marriage practiced by the Mosuo where men visit the women's homes at night but do not live with them permanently. These relationships allow women to have multiple partners throughout their lives. This practice reflects the Mosuo's unique approach to relationships and family, where traditional marriage and cohabitation are not the norm.

💡Inheritance

In the Mosuo culture, inheritance is matrilineal, meaning it passes from mother to daughter. This differs from many other societies where inheritance often follows a patrilineal line. The video emphasizes how this reinforces the power women hold within the family and preserves the matriarchal structure.

💡Lugu Lake

Lugu Lake is a remote, scenic location where the Mosuo people live. The video describes it as both beautiful and rapidly changing due to tourism and development. The lake also symbolizes the tension between preserving traditional ways of life and adapting to modernization.

💡Tourism

Tourism has become a significant force in Lugu Lake, as more Chinese visitors come to experience the Mosuo culture. The video shows how this has altered local life, with increasing commercialization and cultural commodification, while also raising questions about the sustainability of traditional practices.

💡Family structure

The Mosuo family structure is distinct in that it is matrilineal and matriarchal. Women stay in the family home, and brothers or uncles often take on the father role for their sisters' children. The video showcases how this structure contrasts with the more patriarchal systems found in other parts of China.

💡Gender roles

In Mosuo society, gender roles are distinct from those in many other cultures. Women are responsible for managing the household and are often the primary breadwinners, while men have more flexible roles and less pressure to provide. The video contrasts this with traditional Chinese gender expectations, where men are often seen as providers.

💡Traditional handicrafts

Traditional Mosuo handicrafts, such as embroidery and weaving, play a significant role in the culture. The video highlights the importance of passing these skills from generation to generation, though younger Mosuo are less interested in learning these crafts due to economic challenges and exposure to modern lifestyles.

💡Cultural preservation

Cultural preservation is a key concern for the Mosuo, especially as tourism and modernity encroach upon traditional ways of life. The video emphasizes the tension between maintaining ancient customs, such as walking marriages and matrilineal inheritance, and the younger generation's desire to explore opportunities beyond their village.

Highlights

Introduction to the Mosuo people, one of the world’s last matriarchies, located in the mountains near the Burmese border in China.

The Mosuo are famous for their unique family structure where women are in charge of the household, and inheritance is passed from mother to daughter.

Walking marriages allow Mosuo women to have multiple partners throughout their lives without the need for traditional marriage.

The Mosuo tribe practices Tibetan Buddhism and lives in the foothills of the Himalayas, with a population of 40,000 people.

Despite their remote location, tourism has increased significantly, and many Chinese tourists visit the area, creating a mix of modern and traditional life.

The Flower House is a traditional part of Mosuo culture, where adult women live after turning 13 and start walking marriages.

In a walking marriage, men visit women at night and return to their own families the next morning.

Despite the flexibility in relationships, many Mosuo women, like Luce, prefer to settle with one partner even though their culture allows them to have multiple relationships.

Men in the Mosuo culture have less responsibility, and the women manage household duties, including farming, raising children, and making money.

Mosuo women work hard but gain power and influence as they age, eventually becoming the head of the household, known as the grandma.

Many Mosuo women, like Aqi Duzima, are highly skilled artisans, creating textiles that are sold worldwide, but young Mosuo are less interested in traditional crafts.

Walking marriages are often misunderstood and scandalized outside the Mosuo community, but the Mosuo view them as a progressive and healthy form of relationship.

The younger generation of Mosuo is caught between traditional expectations and modern desires, with many young people moving to bigger cities.

The future of the Mosuo way of life is uncertain as more young people leave, tourism grows, and modernization reaches Lugu Lake.

Mosuo women, despite their heavy workload, have a strong sense of identity and responsibility, contributing to the survival of their cultural traditions.

Transcripts

We’re high up in the mountains in the southwest of China,

near the Burmese border.

And we’re on our way to meet the Mosuo people,

who live in a remote place,

which is also known as the Land Where Women Rule.

We’re going to spend a week there

to find out what life is like in one of the world’s last matriarchies.

[China’s Last Matriarchs]

The 40,000-people-strong Mosuo tribe

live in the foothills of the Himalayas,

practice Tibetan Buddhism,

and are most famous for their unique family structure.

Instead of giving the responsibility of family stability to men,

whose tendency to go wherever their dick points can be unreliable,

it’s the women who are in charge of the house,

and inheritance goes from mother to daughter.

And rather than traditional marriages,

they have something called “walking marriages,”

allowing women to have as many boyfriends as they please

throughout their lives.

To get to Lugu Lake from the nearest city, Lijiang,

is an eight-hour drive on mainly high altitude dirt roads.

This is one of the least developed regions in China,

with no nearby railroads.

So when we arrived,

we were surprised to see so many Chinese tourists.

So different than what I had imagined.

On the way here, it felt like going back in time.

But everyone just looks completely normal,

aside from some badass grandmas,

and there are lots of cars and hotels and hair salons.

To find out more about the Mosuo, we headed to the local museum.

I was born and raised in Mosuo culture.

This is a little model of a Mosuo house.

The Flower House is where Mosuo adult women live.

We stay with our grandma in her house before becoming adults.

What makes the Mosuo matriarchy a matriarchy?

There is no father role in a matriarchal family.

The grandma has the most power in the family.

After we turn 13,

we get our own rooms in the Flower House.

Then the boys can start the walking marriage.

The guys will visit the girls at the girls’ houses,

and they return to their own family the following morning.

That’s why it’s called walking marriage.

The girl from the museum told us to check out the lake

and the famous walking marriage bridge,

where people go on dates.

But rather than star-struck lovers,

the bridge was full of tourists taking selfies.

Even I became a tourist attraction.

-I want to take a photo with her. -Just ask her.

What do you think about the culture here, the matriarchal culture?

It’s a mystery.

A mystery?

Do you think it’s different being a woman here

than in the rest of China?

Do you think women are happier here?

Yeah, I think so.

Contributing to the boost in domestic tourism

is the fascination with the Mosuo way of life

that’s often been scandalized and eroticized.

It seemed like the only Mosuo around were the girls selling barbecue.

So I had a chat with one of them

to find out if the bridge was still used for romancing.

Luce, did you ever date on the bridge?

Yes, we dated there.

We danced and we got to know each other

and we were together, I did walking marriage with him.

If you like each other, feel a special bond,

you walk closer and meet.

Walking marriage means being with that person

You don’t need to stay together if you don’t like each other anymore.

That’s a healthy outlook.

I’m pretty popular, lots of guys like me, but I like my partner.

So even though your culture allows you to

date as many guys as you want before you settle for one,

you still went for just one guy?

He’s like a lovely brother.

Men in relationships don’t have much pressure.

Generally, when living in a big family,

it gives you less pressure.

Unlike in the big cities, where you have to buy houses and cars.

We ladies have to take care of the kids and make money.

So we are under more pressure than men.

Unlike in traditional marriages, in which couples live together

and historically the man would be the provider,

the Mosuo never leave the family home,

and it’s the woman’s brothers and uncles who take on the father role.

Still, that often means the women have to provide.

I was curious to know how the men felt about living in a matriarchy.

So we got some guys to take us out on a boat ride,

a typical Mosuo first date.

We ride boats with girls most of the time.

When we do walking marriage, we go into the grassland.

There is a lover’s lake inside the grassland.

So most of the time we go with girls on the boat.

So romantic.

Very “row-mantic.”

Have things changed since the old days

in terms of how the walking marriage works?

When we do walking marriage, the boys go to girls’ rooms,

mothers will pretend not to hear it even if they do.

They’re not going to come catch you.

As long as you are not a thief.

Speaking of walking marriage,

I have done the walking marriage over 100 times.

In the past, I would tell the first one

I have something to take care of at home,

so I would get up at 2:00 am.

At that time, some girls are still in the bar and they would call me.

Then I would go to the bar and meet up with them.

Usually we would just get a room and stay there.

So women here work really hard. Do men have more spare time?

Walking marriage is the best for men.

We don’t need to do much work.

Because women run the household.

So women take care of everything; we don’t need to do too much.

Let me tell you something.

The woman you saw before,

when her husband is not around,

she’ll still do a small walking marriage.

She is still doing walking marriage.

This is very normal.

These days, most Mosuo are monogamous.

But in the past, taking many lovers was common

and still isn't considered a big deal.

After the boat ride, Luce invited me to her house for dinner.

She’s 32, has a son, and lives in her family home with her mum,

sisters, and all their kids.

There were no men around.

All the women got involved in the dinner preparations.

It was fascinating to see

how her family was completely self-sufficient,

bringing every meal from field to table on their own.

The concept of supermarkets is still pretty new to them,

and many Mosuo make less than $200 a year,

so they’re relying on producing their own food.

They’re putting in this much lard per dish.

It’s just covered in fat.

That’s why it’s so tasty.

I don’t understand it, everyone here is super skinny.

This is pork meat.

This looks delicious.

This is the shrimp from the river.

Lettuce we got from the garden.

It’s all local food.

In London, where I live,

a meal like this would be super expensive

because it’s all locally produced, homegrown, organic.

Does it taste good?

Yeah, I got a Sichuan pepper.

No rush, eat slowly.

So how long have you lived in this house?

We’ve been living here for a few decades.

My grandma built the house, then my mom, now me.

Three generations in total.

Plus our kids are the fourth generation now.

Three generations?

Yes. Sisters are all one big family who live together.

Mom stays at home to feed the pigs and look after the kids.

Your partners, the fathers of your kids,

they don’t live here with you?

They come when it’s dark enough.

Luce only had one partner.

But some women have had many walking marriages

and have children with many Mosuo men.

Just like the women, men stay with their own families

and take care of their sisters’ kids.

But they can be part of their biological children’s lives

if they want to.

We live with our mother since we’re young.

We live together until the last day of our lives.

My sister and I met our husbands through walking marriages.

They only come over at night.

In daytime, they live with their families.

Since we don’t live together during the day,

there’s rarely a chance to fight.

Rarely do Mosuo split up.

We have walking marriages, and walk for our whole lives.

The women, who have worked really hard in the fields

and carrying heavy loads and cooking and taking care of the family,

are then rewarded when they’re older

by becoming the most important figure in the household, the grandma.

And every day she’s surrounded by her entire family,

and everyone just seems so happy.

The next morning, we were invited over to

the Mosuo’s most famous craftswoman, called Aqi Duzima,

who also works for the government

and holds an important position in the community.

The Mosuo wear really beautiful, colorful clothes.

Do you think that this is because it’s a matriarchy

and that women like things to be beautiful?

It’s connected.

Girls love to be pretty.

Young girls like bright and colorful fabric.

Middle-aged women like more solid colors.

Older ladies wear dark colors.

When you get older, you have to wear the traditional clothes.

When you wear the traditional clothes to do work, it’s too heavy.

It’s not convenient,

so people just wear these simple normal clothes.

Aqi Duzima’s work is so famous

that her blankets and clothes are shipped all over the world.

I wanted to know if the young Mosuo

were as fascinated by the traditional handicraft as I was.

As Mosuo people, we have the responsibility

to protect our tradition.

These are piles and piles of Mosuo embroidery.

Do you know a British brand called Burberry?

All of these are weaved by us, by hand.

Then they’re sold all over China.

Are the young girls being taught how to weave?

Is there an interest in it?

The older generation knows all this, and passes it on.

They know it’s something they should do,

and something related to their culture.

So they are quite proficient at it,

but the younger ones don’t want to do it.

It doesn’t pay well.

Is it a problem that so many of the young people

are more interested in the outside world?

That’s a big problem.

Because if someone stays at home she needs an income.

Otherwise there’s no reason to stay.

This is the skin of protected animals.

The Mosuo women, were they warriors too?

Mosuo women deal with living things.

They don’t fight or kill.

Killing or dealing with dead things is a man’s job.

It was interesting to see someone so in touch,

both with ancient traditions and modern life.

I wanted to know her thoughts

on women’s social status in Mosuo culture.

Women are happy, but also tired.

Women here have to manage, discuss, and lead everything, big and small.

Women carry more responsibility in everything they do.

Look, this one is my youngest son. Real handsome.

Yeah, he’s a little bit too young for me.

Marry him!

If I were to enter a walking marriage with your son,

what would my life be like?

You can learn to quilt, or do whatever you want.

You don’t have to farm, since you probably don’t know how.

You can take care of the house.

But you do have to cook. That’s a must.

In China, the Mosuos’ romantic life has in the past often been

described as promiscuous.

There were lots of unfortunate misunderstandings.

Like saying our walking marriage is bad and stuff like that.

They say Mosuo have no fathers, no husbands. Those things.

But in recent years there is a better understanding of Mosuo.

Mosuo culture is the most progressive culture in the world.

Whether it’s marriage or family,

the world is learning from us, right?

When we left Aqi Duzima’s workshop,

I decided to talk to the oldest generation of Mosuo women,

who could tell us about the old days, before they had roads or electricity.

So I met up with Luce’s mother, who offered to show me around.

So, Luce’s mum is going to take us to see a friend

to have some tea.

I don’t believe how fast she’s walking.

I’m struggling to keep up.

Do you still appreciate the nature here,

even though you see it every day?

Beautiful. Very beautiful. It makes me happy to be here.

Lugu Lake was scenic, but it was also being massively remodeled

as more hotels, roads, and an airport were under construction.

I got the feeling we might be the last film crew

to capture life in Lugu Lake

before the tourists invade on a whole new level.

When we were growing up, things were worse in every way.

We had to take care of our elders

along with harvesting grass and digging.

Nobody worked as hard as us.

I owe thanks to the Party and their policies.

We kowtow to him and burn incense for him every day.

So, you love Mao?

The good policies of the Communist Party changed my life.

I eat well, I can dress well... I can keep going on forever.

Are you worried that with all these changes

and all these new opportunities for young people

that the ancient Mosuo traditions are disappearing?

It’s only the ones who leave the village or get married to Han people

who might not follow these traditions anymore.

This tradition isn’t going anywhere.

I was under the impression that in a matriarchy

the women would be treated like Queens

and the men would be doing most of the hard work.

But it seems like women are working way harder here.

If the women are industrious, the house will be affluent.

But it’s the uncles and elder brothers

who make the important decisions.

I’m in charge here, I have the final say in everything.

Without my blessing, they wouldn’t dare do anything.

After tea, Luce’s mum proudly took me out to

the field she’d worked and farmed her whole life.

These all need to be shoveled.

I used to be strong, now I’m just old.

You try.

Come, this hand in front, and this hand here.

Oh my God, do you do this all day?

You must have such muscles.

I mean, look at this place,

it’s ridiculously beautiful and organic and everything,

But it’s sort of lost a bit of its charm to me

after having had tea with the grandmas

because I can’t help but feeling that matriarchy here

is just a way of glorifying housewives,

and the women work so hard.

But at least they’re being appreciated for what they’re doing.

They’re the ones inheriting the property,

and it’s pretty sensible, actually.

You’ll never have a woman on the street with her kids

not knowing where to go or how to feed them.

And they’re always getting lots of help from their families,

so there are no divorces, there’s no slut shaming.

There’s a sort of acknowledgement of how love is something fleeting.

And in their own way, they have found some form of gender balance,

I guess.

To find out how the younger girls felt about

the very traditional way of life that the Mosuo still lead,

we caught up with our museum guide, Ku Mu, and her best friend, Zima.

both in their early 20s.

It feels behind here, actually.

I also look forward to what’s going on outside.

I’d love to go out and take a look.

So, what are your hopes for the future?

I hope two people can live together like Han people.

My family won’t allow it for sure.

I’ll have to figure it out later.

It depends. If I find a guy from outside,

I would want to start a family with him outside.

And come back to see my family often.

Depending on the guy I find.

Just like this.

So I’m getting all dressed up to go to a Mosuo dance.

It’s really exciting.

I hope I’m not too big for the clothes, they’re so tiny.

So you guys have smartphones,

you listen to pop music, and you like Twilight and things like that.

What do your grandmothers think about that?

They would ask what kind of crap the songs are saying,

they can’t understand.

Sometimes we get blamed for singing and dancing to non-Mosuo stuff.

They usually don’t like us doing our makeup.

So does any sort of flirting happen at these dances?

It doesn’t happen a lot with our village’s boys.

We don’t really have any chemistry.

We know each other too well.

So if I think a boy is cute,

what are the codes?

To tickle his palm.

So we would hold hands and dance together.

If you like him, you tickle three times, three times.

So I do this three times with my finger if I think someone’s cute?

OK.

So who’s your dream boy?

I quite like [Chinese actor and musician] Wallace Chung.

I like [Korean actor] Kim Woo-bin.

So the K-pop stars?

I don’t like them anymore.

Now we like more manly guys.

Me too!

I’m done with boys.

I have no idea what I’m doing.

The dances used to be a way for Mosuos to flirt,

but these days, like everything else,

they seem to mainly serve as entertainment for tourists.

Cheers, cheers!

It was our last night, so we all went to the local pub,

and Luce and her cousin joined us to say goodbye.

Have you ever experienced heartbreak?

Our village is relatively old and traditional.

If anyone’s heart breaks, we just go have drinks together.

If it’s really serious, we would all go beat the guy.

A lot of us want to go out and explore.

Everyone wants to go to the big cities

to experience it at least once.

They told us almost 80 percent of young Mosuo leave for bigger cities,

where they often get married and lead mainstream lives.

I graduated from Nanchong Normal School

in Sichuan Province of China.

Now I’m just helping my family doing farm work.

If you would go to a bigger city,

would you stay there and try to find a wife there and a life there

or would you come back?

I would choose to come back.

Because home is still the best.

Lugu Lake is a place in transition.

And the young Mosuo we met seemed frustrated

about being caught between ancient tradition

and the temptations of the new China at their fingertips.

Although their lives were far from perfect,

they were just as annoyed with social structures as anyone else.

They definitely had something special,

and it was unclear if their traditions would survive.

Cheers!