The Incomparable Routine of Mosuo Marriage

Mosuo is an old matriarchal ethnic group who lived everywhere in the celebrated Lugu Lake. This ethnic group was primarily celebrated among the 55 Chinese ethnic groups because of its incomparable style of marriage, which the Mosuo people named walking marriage.

True to its name, the Mosuo people don't marry in the church, temple, or with any group leader; instead, both the man and the woman partake in the practice of walking marriage. In this practice, the woman gives the man her distinguished scarf, if she falls in love with him, while the man visits the woman in her house. Both also enunciate their feelings through songs when they see each other, but exchanging love songs, bestowing scarfs, and visiting don't always happen.

There are times when the female does not like the man, so she won't let him in on his next turn-up. At this time, both can explore another lover because when a Mosuo female decides to close her door for a man, her decision is final.

The only catch in this classification of marriage is that the man and the female have no commitment to each other, and both can leave their partners anytime even if they have children. Since there's no pledge involved, I wonder why the Chinese call this practice a marriage.