The Influence of Matriarchal Culture on Traditional Mosuo Sports: A Case Study of Wenquan and Xiaoluoshui Villages in Yongning Township, Yunnan
This study examines the influence of matrilineal culture on the traditional sports of the Mosuo people, an ethnic community residing in the Yongning region of Ninglang County, Yunnan, near the Yunnan-Sichuan border. Using fieldwork, interviews, and documentary analysis in Wenquan and Xiaoluoshui villages, the author investigates traditional sports born within the Mosuo matriarchal social structure, characterized by female household leadership, matrilineal descent, and the distinctive "Azhu" (walking marriage) system. From cultural, ethnological, folkloric, and sociological perspectives, the paper explores how modern civilization's impact and the ongoing transformation of matrilineal culture are reshaping these traditional sporting practices. It highlights the unique ethnic characteristics of Mosuo sports as expressions of matriarchal identity, while noting quiet but significant changes occurring alongside cultural change. The research aims to enrich understanding of ethnic minority sports culture and promote its comprehensive development, offering theoretical and practical value for preserving this distinctive heritage amid modernization pressures.
This page publishes the bibliographic record and the project's summary. The scanned article text belongs to its publisher and is shown to readers under a research-use policy; it is not reproduced in this record.