The Mosuo tribe is the
last surviving matrilineal and matriarchal society in the world. Choo Waihong brings
their story to light in The Kingdom of Women: Life, Love and Death in China’s
Hidden Mountains.
From the moment she stepped
into the Kingdom of Women, Waihong was captivated. The Mosuos worship the
female spirit, celebrate every aspect of womanhood and structure their social
hierarchy according to maternal bloodlines. Their way of life was a stark
contrast to the male-dominated world of law. Waihong became the first outsider to move into the heart of the tribe,
where she stayed for six years.
Raising important questions
about gender roles and modern society, this is a unique, thought-provoking
glimpse into a hidden way of life that teeters on the knife-edge of
extinction in modern China.
Details: The Kingdom
of Women in published in hardback by I.B. Tauris, priced in local
currencies.