Lugu Lake and Mosuo People

Lugu Lake, covering an area of 50 square kilometers with the average water depth of 45 meters and the transparency 11 meters, lies 200 kilometers (approximately 124 miles) from the center of Lijiang Ancient City, on the border between Ninglang County in Yunnan Province and Yanyuan County in Sichuan Province.

Lugu Lake is surrounded by hills, with the water as smooth

as a mirror, and as blue as the sky.

In the lake there are five islands, three peninsulas and a sea- wall islet. Heiwawu Island, Liwubi Island, and Lige Island are most notable. Heiwawu Island is in the center of the lake and has a variety of birds living on it. The smallest island on the lake is Nixi Island - an oblong rock covered with shrubs and moss. Here everything looks as if it has not been disturbed by human beings and still remains in its primitive state. Boating in the lake, you can feel that the surface of the water is as smooth as a mirror and the water as blue as the sky. The slow–canoe in the blue lake, the beautiful Mosuo girls in their ethnic clothes and the Mosuo folk songs will show you something of primitive simplicity and peace.

Mosuo grils are boating in the lake.

Forest around is dense and the air is fresh. The weather is pleasant - it is cool in summer and warm in winter. All the seasons are as comfortable as spring, but the best seasons to come here are spring and summer when the hills are emerald green, the flowers are in bloom and the birds are singing happily.

The lake is in the shape of a horse's hoof - long from north to south, and narrower from east to west. The morning mist mixed with the light of the rising sun gives the lake an orange glow covered by mist. When the light of sun causes the hills to throw their shadows onto the water, the lake has a jade green color. The lake is calm and dark green in the evening when the sun sinks, and is peaceful when night comes. Gentle wind blows and water ripples.

Mystery and charm surround the lake, mostly because the Mosuo people who live there form a matriarchal society. There is no marriage. Men stay in the women's home as mates called 'Axia' and the intimate relationship lasts as long as they like. Children are brought up by women, and use the surname of their mothers. Families are composed of the members of the matrilineal kin. Women operate production and management, and hold the principal position in the society, forming a modern day 'woman's kingdom', which adds mystique to this place.

Visiting marriage of the Mosuo people

Welcome to the beautiful, mysterious and romantic "Oriental Women-governed kingdom."

Lugu Lake and Mosuo People

Art

Shadow Play still Popular in Some

Origin and Tools of Ink & Wash

China Issued Special Stamps for

Customs

Chinese Kungfu

Origin and Development of Wudang Martial Arts

Introduction to Wudang Mountains

Everybody was kungfu fighting

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