Lugu Lake Mosuo Trips

Visit real Mosuo villages away from the tourist traps

Come into contact with one of the few remaining matriarchal cultures on the planet

Experience this unique culture first-hand, by living with the Mosuo in their homes

Hike around Lugu Lake with its breathtaking scenery and visit other minorities

Visit some of the local projects being done to preserve the Mosuo culture

Combine this trip with a trek through Tibetan Sichuan and Yunnan, trips to other Chinese ethnic minorities or a classic China trip

Lugu Lake Mosuo Village Stay and sustainable Projects

This trip will be organized in cooperation with the Lugu Lake Mosuo Cultural Development Association, a non-profit organization run by Mosuo leaders, to promote and protect the Mosuo culture. One of our biggest goals is to promote responsible tourism, mostly in the form of cultural tourism. For those interested in the Mosuo culture (which really is a fascinating and unique culture), we can take them away from the tourist traps, into real Mosuo villages, to live with real Mosuo families, and learn about their lives and culture first-hand.

Please click here for a detailed travel itinerary (pdf format)

The trip will begin in Lijiang, then on to Lugu Lake, where you can ride around the lake on local hand-crafted boats, visit island temples, and watch performances of traditional Mosuo music/dance. From there, we will go to more remote villages, where you can have the chance to experience "real" Mosuo life - living in a traditional Mosuo home with a Mosuo family, seeing the daily life, eating meals with them, etc.

On the way from Lijiang to Lugu Lake, our experienced tour leader will also give a background 'lecture' about the Mosuo people, their organization and projects that focus on economic development, cultural preservation, environmental protection ... and much, much more! For more information, please visit our project section or visit the website of the Lugu Lake Mosuo Cultural Development Association.

Tourism provides great benefits to the Mosuo. It provides economic income, and fuels economic development. It increases awareness and knowledge of the Mosuo culture. It provides opportunities for exchange and interaction which otherwise would not exist.

On the other hand, it carries with it all the pitfalls associated with tourism. Already, Luoshui, the main tourist destination for people going to Lugu Lake, has become a tourist trap with very little that represents real Mosuo culture. Instead, it is a strip of hotels, souvenir shops, bars, etc. Some of these businesses are owned by non-Mosuo, who don't understand the Mosuo culture, and present it in a way that is not at all accurate. Pollution is drastically increased, threatening the natural beauty of the area.

In close cooperation, Hiddenchina.net GmbH and the Lugu Lake Mosuo Cultural Development Association do their best to work with the Mosuo to maximize the benefits, while minimizing the problems.

This trip can also be combined with a classic China tour, a trek through Tibetan Sichuan and Yunnan, trips to other Chinese ethnic minorities or one of our other itineraries. Please contact us for a detailed program.

Quick Introduction

China has many unique minority groups; but few are as unique as the Mosuo. Living high in the Himalayan Mountains, close to the border with Tibet, the Mosuo are one of the few remaining matriarchal cultures on the planet. In the Mosuo culture, women are the head of the house, and lineage is traced through the mother's side of the family.

The Mosuo are also famous for the fact that they do not practice marriage; instead, they have a system called "walking marriages", where they can choose and change partners as they wish. And they are one of the few Tibetan Buddhist cultures to exist outside of Tibet. The Mosuo also live in one of the most remote and undeveloped regions of China; some villages still have no electricity, most have no running water. The economy is still mostly an agrarian economy, based on barter.

We offer you the opportunity not only to visit this incredibly beautiful area of China (high in the Himalayas, on the shores of Lugu Lake), but to experience this unique culture first-hand, by living with the Mosuo in their homes, and seeing their day-to-day life from their perspective. The Mosuo are a very friendly and open people, and are eager to share their lives with others, and make more people aware of their culture.

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