Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

The Contemporary Expression of Mosuo Matrilineal Culture in the Context of Tourism: An Ethnographic Study Based on Lugu Lake

Shan GaoShanghai New Epoch Bilingual School*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Mosuo culture around Lugu Lake has long been a focus of academic and touristic discourse; however, systematic discussions from an emic perspective remain scarce. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the Lugu Lake area in July 2025, this paper explores the contemporary expression of Mosuo matrilineal culture in the context of tourism through in-depth interviews with the museum curator, a Daba cultural inheritor, a young Mosuo individual, and an external settler. The findings reveal that Mosuo society is not characterized by female supremacy, but a relatively balanced social system centered on the structure of the "mother house" and intergenerational cooperation. Under the dual gaze of tourists and scholars, local residents have developed a strategic distinction between frontstage display and backstage preservation, with the museum emerging as a key arena for cultural reconstruction. The younger generation demonstrates a high degree of cultural self-awareness in navigating the tension between tradition and modernity, rather than passively accepting change. This paper argues that the continuity of Mosuo culture relies on its dynamic adaptability, and that cultural preservation should respect the community's subjectivity and its right to self-definition. This study provides an emic perspective to complement existing understandings of cultural change in ethnic tourism destinations and offers insights for policy-making on minority cultural preservation.

Keywords: Mosuo people; Matrilineal culture; Tourism; House society; Cultural expression
Published: April 28, 2026
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2026.BJ33039
Volume: CHR Vol.108
pp. 143-149
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