Shahariare Khan Shihab

Nian Su, Mosou Horseman, waiting on the top of the Hill with his horse in the very early morning. This horse is used to lead the Cremation journey for the Mosou ethnic group.
Landscape of Zhang Shijiao village, one of the smallest village in Ningland County, bordering Sichuan province. China.
Indoor interior with smoke of a Mosou home, they (all the villagers) are used to have breakfast and dinner around this fire
Romanombu, A Mosou old man.
Skin of a goat hanged on the tree to make it dry for personal use.
A domestic Pig, inside a Mosou house. Mosou people used to dry pig meet and preserve them to eat.
Mosou people are having food together. It is the part of the culture, they love to have food together.
Bouang Danba having having his leisure time and relaxing after day work in his wine bottle decorated front balcony
Mosou farmers are working in the field, as most of them are living on farming.
Form, Hand and fingers of a Mosou farmers while working in the field.
An abandoned sofa set into a garden on a mountain.
Gao Lou Jin Ru, husband of Kao Lou Zhi Cong is passed away, his coffin is carrying to the mountain by the villagers to fire the dead body.
Gaolou duzhi anxious mother, as Women are the main person of every mosou ethnic family.
Main Street of the Zhang Shijiao village just after the sunset. Mosour people do not used to come out after the sunset. They used to stay at home, having food and family time.
Abandoned furniture of an abandoned Mouou home.
Chickens. Mosuo people used to have domestics in their home.
Saojin Danshi man holding his beloved goat. He is mute.
Horse. Once every mosuo family used to have horse. Now because of the less young family member old person are not that much able to maintain horse. So they are selling them.
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The Bell from Cold Mountain

The Mosuo are a compact ethnic group living in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces in China. They are the “Last Matrilineal Society” and also called “Home of the Matriarchal Tribe”.

First discovered in the middle of 1200 century when Kublai Khan with his Mongolian army established his army headquarters in south of Lugu Lake. But presently they are not listed in the China government ethnic group list because they do not have twenty thousand people in all over the China.

Year after year The Mosou peoples are disappearing throughout their total population. The Mosou people has their own culture and tradition though Naxi people called them their extension part. In some case Mosou people are being converted to Naxi culture also. Han culture is another one by their Ming Dynesty. Mosuo accepted Buddhism into their culture and adapted it to fit their values.  For heightened technology, better roads and transportation – Young Mosuo men and women use these modes to leave their villages and find employment in neighboring cities, also established their life there and not coming back to the village. And Older Mosuo fear emerging property conflicts as a consequence. Care for the family, with younger children generations leaving the villages, is also a concern.

Zhang Shijiao in one of the smallest village in Ningland County known for Mosou ethnic group, bordering Sichuan province to the northeast, close to the border with Tibet. It is under the administration of Lijiang City.

© Shihab Shahariare Khan ||