Lugu Lake is located in the North West Yunnan plateau in the centre of Ningliang Yi Autonomous County in the People’s Republic of China. The middle of the lake forms the border between the Ninglang County of Yunnan Province and the Yanqing County of Sichuan province. The formation of the lake is thought to have occurred in a geological fault belonging to the geological age of the Late Cenozoic. It is an alpine lake at an elevation of 2,685 metres (8,809 ft) and is the highest lake in the Yunnan Province. The lake is surrounded by mountains and has five islands, four peninsulas, fourteen bays and seventeen beaches.
The lake’s shores are inhabited by many minority ethnic groups, such as the Mosuo, Norzu, Yi, Pumi and Tibetan. The most numerous of them all are the Mosuo people, also spelt Moso people, said to be a sub clan of the Naxi People (as per Chinese records of Minorities in China) with ancient family structure considered as “a live fossil for researching the marital development history of Human beings” and “the last quaint Realm of Matriarchy.” It is considered as the home of the Moso Tribe. However, Mosuo have a separate identity from the Naxis, as it is said that the Chinese used the word Mosuo as a generic term for different ethnic groups, including the Naxi.
Lugu Lake is called the “mother lake” by the Mosuo people. The lake is also well-known in Chinese travel pamphlets as the region of “Amazons,”The Kingdom of Women” and “Home of the Matriarchal Tribe”, this last name highlighting the dominant role of the Mosuo women in their society. The marriage rites of the Mosuo people are known as “azhu marriage” ceremony and this unique aspect of their social culture has given the title “exotic land of daughters” to the area. It is also known as “A Quaint Realm of Matriarchy.” The matriarchal and matrilineal society of the Mosuos is also termed the “Women”s World.”
From Lijiang To Lugu Lake:
There are two buses heading to Lugu Lake from Lijiang Keyunzhan every day.(9:00 am and 10:00 am) The trip is about 6 hours and cost 65 rmb for a person.(including a 2 rmb insurance fee) In Lijiang Guchengtingchechang, you can find a bus to Lugu Lake too. It is available at 8:30 am every day. The bus will reach Luoshui first. For getting back to Lijiang, you can take a bus at Lugu Lake Keyunzhan. There are two buses available every day.(10:00 am and 12:00 pm)
Admission fee:
41 rmb for a person. Students and aged(60-70) can get a 50% off. Free for aged>70. Free for kids shorter than 1.3 meters.
Airlines to Lugu Lake:
You can fly to Lugu Lake from Chengdu (flight 3U447) and the cost is about 460 rmb.
Tips:
(1). The average temperature here is about 17 C and the range is 10 C – 25 C. You’d better bring a jacket.
(2). Lugu Lake is in the plateau and you will need a sunglasses to protect your eyes.
(3). The umbrella is not a must have for your Lugu Lake travel because there is no much rain here.
(4). The peak season for Lugu Lake travel is May and June. You can avoid this period of time if you don’t like the crowded places.
(5). The travel agencies’ price will be 20%-30% higher in the big Chinese holidays.
(6). Most buildings in Lugu Lake is made from woods and you can see the “No Smoking” flags everywhere.
(7). Remember to respect the local people’s religions.
(8). Do not talk any sex topics here with the local people.