Lake Luguhu

Located between Yunnan's Ninglang County and Sichuan's Yanyuan County, Lake Luguhu is shared by the two provinces. About 200 kilometers away from Lijiang Old Town, it ranks only second to Fuxian Lake in terms of water depth among Yunnan’s lakes. Covering an area of more than 50 square kilometers with an average depth of 45 meters, it is composed of five islands, three peninsulas and a sea island, like green boats floating on the water.

What it belongs to

Lake Luguhu runs eastwards into Yalong and Jinsha Rivers, which are part of the Yangtze River.

Three Islands of Lugu

The lake has 5 islands, three of which, Nixi, Liwubi and Naizhongpu had been rated as one of the top landscapes 200 years ago. Nixi Island, the smallest island, resembles a rectangle rock lying on the north shore of Lake Luguhu. Covered with moss and bush, it attracts lots of tourists. Southwest to it locates the Liwubi Island where ever stood a Lamasery. The long and narrow Naizhongpu Island is the settlement for birds that lush trees are there.

Female’s Kingdom

The lakeshore is inhabited by Mosuo people, a branch of Naxi ethnic minority. They still retain some parts of their earlier matriarchal society. Men and women are united by wedlock; they instead live in their mothers’ home. When they are grown up, men spend the night staying in the women’s home. They call their partners “Axia” which means intimate companion, but never husband and wife. Female play a predominant role and are the head of a family. All family members are descendents of the same matriarchal-lineage. For this reason, Lake Luguhu is called “A kingdom of female”, which is quite rare in the world.

Musical Kingdom

The Lake Luguhu is also a kingdom for singing and dancing. It is said the Mosuo people are capable of 72 kinds of dances. Every night in the villages, Mosuo people will gather around the fire to hold bonfire party, singing or dancing. The current popular dance named Jiacuo Dance, meaning the dance for the good time.

Gemu Goddess Mountain

The 3,800 meters high Gemu Goddess Mountain on the north lakeshore is a beautiful sacred mountain for the Mosuo people. Every year on 25 July, according to the lunar calendar, the Mosuo people hold a grand pilgrimage to the mountain.

Villages at the foot of Gemu Goddess Mountain

At the foot of the Gemu Goddess Mountain scatters several villages where live the Mosuo people from generation to generation. Lige Village, the most mysterious village locating at the lakeshore remains the primitive lifestyles.

Grass Sea

Reputes as the “paradise for birds”, Grass Sea collects more than 100 categories of birds including black-necked crane, red-crowned crane, purple heron and so on. Covering an area of 15,000 mus, it is a jade inset in the east Lake Luguhu.

Houses of Mosuo people

The house of Mosuo people is the typical courtyard pattern whose roof is made from the log material. Mosuo people call it “wooden room”. The principal room in the house is for grandma who has the highest position in Mosuo family, managing the family finance and decision making. The grandma room is an integration of bedroom, sitting room and kitchen. There are two important columns in the room. The left one represents the male and the right one stands for the female. In the home of Mosuo people, the hospitable girls will dance and sing to welcome the visitors. A song named “Ma Da Mi” is fair-sounding enough to make visitors linger in.

Try Local food

Local food features fat salted pork and dry fish. Enter in any wooden room at the charming lakeshore of Lake Luguhu, you will be served a bowl of Sulima, a kind of traditional wine brewed by Mosuo people themselves.