Mosuo Culture 摩梭族文化

What would the days be like without fathers？ Maybe not so bad， according to experts on the Mosuo culture of the Chinese Himalaya.

Men of the Mosuo， who live around Lugu Lake on the border between Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces， do help to raise kids—just not their own， with whom the men typically have only limited relationships. Instead the men help look after all the children born to their own sisters， aunts， and other women of the family.

The women of the Mosuos villages head the households， make business decisions， and own property， which they pass on to their matrilineal heirs. In the unique Mosuo tradition called the walking marriage， women invite men to visit their rooms at night—and to leave in the morning. Women may also change partners as often as they like， and carry no social stigma.

“The lack of live-in fathers shouldn't be taken as evidence that the Mosuo don't value family life，” said Lombard， of the Lugu Lake Mosuo Cultural Development Association. “In fact， they value it above all other relationships.”

没有父亲的日子该怎么过？也许没那么悲伤——在中国喜马拉雅山脉一带专门研究摩梭族文化的专家如是说。

摩梭人生活在云南省和四川省交界处的泸沽湖一带，那里的男子在养儿育女问题上事实上也确有帮助——但他们所养育的偏偏不是自己的孩子，没什么直接血缘关系。相反，这些男子帮助养育的孩子都是自己的姐妹、姨妈、姑妈及家族内的其他女人生的孩子。

在摩梭族农村，妇女自主安排并承担一切生计，她们拥有财产权，并有权把财产传给母系继承人。当地有一个十分独特的走婚习俗，也就是到了晚上，女子可以把男子请到家里来过夜，第二天一早，男子便可离开。女子是可以随时随意更换男子的，完全不会背负不好的社会名声。

泸沽湖摩梭族文化发展协会的拉姆巴德说：“生活中缺少父亲，并不能因此说明摩梭人就不重视家庭生活。相反，他们会把那种家庭关系看得高于其他一切关系。”