Lugu Lake 泸沽湖
Remote mountain lake, home of the Mosuo people.
High in the mountains between Yunnan and Sichuan. Plan at least two nights – the drive is long, and the lake is at its most beautiful in the early morning and evening.
What to see
Lugu Lake 泸沽湖
A clear mountain lake at about 2,700 m on the border of Yunnan and Sichuan, called "Mother Lake" by the Mosuo people, one of the last matrilineal societies in the world. Paddle out to the islands in a traditional wooden canoe, and stay in a Mosuo village on the lakeshore.
- About 4–5 hours by road from Lijiang.
Caohai and the Walking Marriage Bridge 草海·走婚桥
On the Sichuan side of the lake, a long wooden bridge crosses the reed marshes of Caohai. It is named after the Mosuo custom of "walking marriage", in which partners do not live together but visit each other at night.