Cultural insight: Taboos in Mosuo culture

The Mosuo culture is vastly different from others in some respects. Foreigners are not expected to know all of these things immediately after they arrive in Lugu Lake. However, knowledge of what is not acceptable can make your trip to Lugu Lake much smoother. Here are the taboos in Mosuo culture:

When chatting with a Mosuo family, avoid the topics of love or relationships.

When filling a bowl with rice for someone, avoid scooping out only one ladle of rice into the container.

Avoid whistling, singing loudly or speaking dirty words at home.

Avoid striding over the fire place. In Mosuo families, there is a Guozhuang stone between the fire place and the stove that is set there on behalf of the ancestors. When visiting a Mosuo family, avoid stepping on or kicking the Guozhuang stone.

When male visitors come to a Mosuo family, avoid entering the Mosuo women’s bedroom or sitting on their bed.

Remember when visiting Lugu Lake to avoid eating dogs, cats or frogs there.

Edited by Michael Thai