Documentary | 01 January 0001

In a remote corner of southwestern China are the Mosuo, arguably the best remaining example of a matrilineal society in the world today. In this program, anthropologist Chou Wah-Shan—one of few outside scholars who have lived and worked extensively with the Mosuo—and Mosuo villagers offer insights into what life is like in the 91 communities where women rule and husbands don’t exist. Commerce, belief systems, rituals and festivals, and the day-to-day responsibilities of women and men are described, with a special focus on the concept of “walking marriage.” But tourism and technology are swiftly eroding core Mosuo customs and values. How much longer will the Mosuo way of life survive?