Mosuo
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 40,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 China (Sichuan · Yunnan)
|
|
| Languages | |
| Mosuo dialect | |
| Religion | |
| Dongba, Tibetan Buddhism, Taoism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Nakhi |
The Mosuo (Chinese: ; pinyin: Mósuō; also spelled Moso), often called the Na among themselves, are a small ethnic group living in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces in China, close to the border with Tibet. Consisting of a population of approximately 40,000, many of them live in the Yongning region, around Lugu Lake, in Labai, in Muli, and in Yanyuan, located high in the Himalayas (27°42′35.30″N 100°47′4.04″E / 27.7098056°N 100.7844556°E).
Although the Mosuo are culturally distinct from the Nakhi (Naxi), the Chinese government places them as members of the Nakhi minority. The Nakhi are about 320,000 people, spread throughout different provinces in China. Their culture has been documented by indigenous scholars Lamu Gatusa, Latami Dashi, Yang Lifen and He Mei. Media accounts of Mosuo culture tend to highlight exotic sexuality—zouhun, which many Chinese interpret as "free love", matriarchy—a land where women rule; and primitivity—a society that has not evolved.
The Mosuo are often referred to as China's "last matrilineal society." The Mosuo themselves may also often use the description matriarchal, which they believe increases interest in their culture and thus attracts tourism. However, the terms matrilineal and matriarchal do not reflect the full complexity of their social organization. In fact, it is not easy to categorize Mosuo culture within traditional Western definitions. They have aspects of a matriarchal culture: women are often the head of the house, inheritance is through the female line, and women make business decisions. However, unlike a matriarchy, the political power tends to be in the hands of males. Nevertheless, anthropologists like Peggy Reeves Sanday determine societies like Mosuo are in fact matriarchies. Further, scholars have argued that while matrilineal arrangements are the normative pattern, domestic arrangements still vary geographically and by family circumstance.
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