Mountain worship festival

Local Mosuo girls dance at the Mountain Worship Festival on July 25 of the lunar calendar. The festival is an occasion to pay tribute to Goddess Gemu, who is believed to bless and protect the Mosuo people. [Photo/ ljluguhu.com.cn]

Goddess Gemu is not only beautiful, but is also very intelligent. As the head of all the goddesses of nearby mountains, she is a safeguard and is thus respected by generations of Mosuo people.

On July 25, people wear their best clothes and bring meat, cookies, amd fruit to the goddess. After the ceremony, people burn fires and boil buttered tea, eat and sing songs. Young Mosuo people take the opportunity to looking for a mate.

According to legend, there once was a beautiful girl called Gemu. She was not only beautiful but good at playing music. The sound of her bamboo flute was so nice even the deer would stop running to enjoy the tune.

She was not only good at singing and dancing but also good at working. She was so elegant and capable that boys from nearby villages come to propose. However a god from heaven also fell in love with her and used a whirlwind to bring her to heaven. All the villagers came to chase the girl. The god lost her out of panic and Gemu died. Her body turned into the mountain, but her soul became a goddess. She often rides a horse and wanders the sky above Yongning. Where She is in charge of reproduction and diseases. People celebrate the mountain worship Festival to pay tribute to her.

Lugu Lake has attracted many visitors thanks to its beautiful natural scenery and is now a provincial level scenic spot. The Mountain Worship Festival is attracting visitors from home and abroad to the lake and Goddess Gemu Mountain.