Mosuo Night on the banks of the enormous Lugu Lake in the Yunnan province of southern China and hidden in the Himalayas the Mosuo culture exists in all its glory.

About asifcae

Hi:
My name is Asif Saeed and I am a Pakistani. I am 29 years old, an engineer by profession and a hobbyist photographer. Mainly I love landscape/travel photography and I have travelled all over Pakistan and China for this. My other passions include trekking/hiking, traveling, tourism and I am also a novice angler. I have always wanted to visit the African bush and photograph its diverse and unique landscape and animals. I must admit that I am not very experienced at wildlife photography as there is not much opportunity here in Pakistan and China. This is indeed a great opportunity for me not only to learn from the best but also have an overwhelming experience by being up-close and personal with the wild. My experience in living for long periods of time in the outdoors also makes me a suitable candidate for this scholarship.

While touring Yunnan Province in China I had the opportunity to spend one night with the Mosuo minority. The Mosuo culture is a matriarchal one in which the women are dominant and are responsible for every decision of the family. Naturally the head of the family is also a woman. Another interesting aspect of this culture is the concept of walk in marriages instead of the traditional marriage. There are no husbands and wives and no long lasting relations. The children of such relations are raised by and traced in lineage by the female side. After a cultural dance possible suitors would propose to girls and if the Matriarch agrees they can spend the night together. I also had the opportunity to attend such a dance which has now become a somewhat greater tourist attraction.