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Mosuo: A Mysterious Matriarchal Group in China
 The grandmother's room also contains a big piece of fatty
meat symbolizing the wealth of the family. After a pig is butchered and its
viscera and bones are removed, the Mosuo people add Chinese prickly ash and salt
to its insides. Then they stitch up the skin and dry it in a clean and shady
place. They usually have to wait three to five years before the meat can be
eaten. For the Mosuo, a steady supply of meat symbolizes a healthy hearty
appetite for both food and money.
Apart from the grandmother's room is a special two-storied
building -- the most beautiful and cleanest one in the courtyard -- for storing
and chanting Buddhist scriptures.
 Religion and Belief
Mosuo people believe in naturism and they regard children as the sacred
reincarnations of their ancestors.
 The Mosuo believe that their ancestors, who are held in
good memory, will come back to life as little children. At his or her adult
ceremony, a child is given a name from a deceased relative to become a full
member of the clan. This is especially important for girls. Following the
ceremony the girl is given a woman's costume and, from that point on, she is
perceived as one of her deceased elders. When an old woman dies, the initiation
costume of a 13-year-old girl, together with food and drink, is laid close to
her coffin. According to a Mosuo saying: "She will come back as a young girl."
The ancient religion of the Mosuo focuses on their belief in the divinity of
Nature. This is most directly expressed through the veneration of Gemu, the
sacred mountain, which is regarded as the Goddess of Love, and Shinami, the
sacred lake, perceived as the Mother Goddess. For the Mosuo, Nature is female.
Conquered by the Tibetans, the Mosuo were forced to adopt Lamaism, a Tibetan
variation on Buddhism.
But, as legend has it, Gemu became furious because the Lamas did not respect
Mother Earth and her life-giving womb. She therefore went to Lhasa
to take on the new Buddhist deities. As a result, Gemu was integrated into the
Buddhist pantheon.
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The grandmother's room also contains a big piece of fatty
meat symbolizing the wealth of the family. After a pig is butchered and its
viscera and bones are removed, the Mosuo people add Chinese prickly ash and salt
to its insides. Then they stitch up the skin and dry it in a clean and shady
place. They usually have to wait three to five years before the meat can be
eaten. For the Mosuo, a steady supply of meat symbolizes a healthy hearty
appetite for both food and money.
