The Mosuo number approximately 40,000 people, and for centuries they have lived on the banks of Lugu Lake – which borders China’s Sichuan and Yunnan provinces – and in the surrounding mountains, grouped together in picturesque villages filled with timber homes.

At 2,700m above sea level, and with the nearest city some six hours’ drive away, the region’s remoteness has led to the preservation of customs not found anywhere else in the world.