Mosuo people celebrate Mountain Worship Festival

The Mosuo people living by Lugu Lake celebrated the Mountain Worship Festival (also known as zhuanshanjie) in Southwest China's Yunnan province, on Sept 15. Since ancient times, they have learned to appreciate the relationship between nature and humans.

The Mountain Worship Festival originated over 1,000 years ago. It is one of the oldest festivals among Chinese ethnic cultures. On every July 25 of the lunar calendar, the Mosuo people will climb the Gemu Mountain to pay tribute to Goddess Gemu and worship nature.

After the ceremony, people light bonfires and boil buttered tea. They eat and sing songs together. Young Mosuo men and women take the opportunity to look for a partner.

A walking marriage (or zouhun) is the most prominent marital practice in Mosuo culture. The children in a walking marriage are raised by the mother and her extended family. In this unusual society alongside Lugu Lake, families are still run by a matriarchal system.

Camera: Li Yang

Li Wenrui contributed to this story.