MidReal Story
Kingdom's Legacy: Betrayal and Bravery
Scenario: Revised Novel Outline: "Exploring the Kingdom of Women"
Setting:Historical and Geographical Context: Set at the enchanting locales of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Lugu Lake, amidst the legacy of the ancient Naxi Kingdom.
Cultural Crossroads: The setting is a melting pot where Eastern and Western cultures converge, influenced by both matrilineal and patrilineal civilizations, providing a rich backdrop for the narrative.
Main Characters:
Lin Xuan - A historian of Chinese descent from the modern United States, driven by a quest to understand human societal developments and the secrets of matrilineal societies.
Maya - Heiress to the Kingdom of Women, battling societal and political changes threatening her heritage.
The Mosuo Elders - Keepers of ancient wisdom, with profound insights into the ecological and societal constructs of their time.
Lin Xuan fascinated by an ancient scroll depicting the Naxi Kingdom, is mysteriously transported to the past through a time portal activated by the scroll.
He arrives during a tumultuous period in the Kingdom of Women, right as he walks across the Tea Horse Road and drinks from the mystical waters of Lugu Lake
Rising Action:
Integrating into the kingdom, Lin Xuan learns about their intricate connection to nature and humanity, witnessing firsthand the spiritual and physical landscapes that define the region.
Maya, facing challenges to her rule from factions within her court desiring a shift towards patriarchal rule, allies with Lin Xuan to preserve her heritage.
Climax:
Discovering a plot to usurp the throne involving ancient and forbidden magic tied to the white sand murals and Gemu Peak, Lin Xuan and Maya must navigate a series of dangerous, supernatural trials.
These trials are designed to test their wisdom, courage, and understanding of both ancient and modern societal values.
The Night of Long Knives Summary:The anticipated external threats finally manifest as enemy forces, supported by internal betrayers, launch a coordinated night assault on the kingdom. This chapter captures the fierce battle under the moonlit sky, the execution of Lin Xuan's strategic defenses, and Maya's inspiring leadership on the battlefield. The kingdom's response to this crisis tests the effectiveness of their preparations and the unity of their people. Throughout the night, acts of bravery and betrayal unfold, shaping the future of the kingdom.
The Onset of the Assault:
Surprise Attack: Begin with the sudden, intense start of the assault as enemy forces, using knowledge provided by traitorous insiders, infiltrate the kingdom’s defenses.
Initial Chaos: Describe the confusion and chaos among the citizens as alarms sound throughout the capital, with Lin Xuan and Maya quickly mobilizing their forces.
Maya’s Leadership in Action:
Rallying the Troops: Show Maya riding through the ranks, delivering a rousing speech that bolsters the morale of her troops, urging unity and bravery against the invaders.
Strategic Command: Detail Maya's command from the front lines, directing her forces effectively against the enemy, showcasing her growth into a formidable leader.
Lin Xuan’s Tactical Mastery:
Defensive Maneuvers: Highlight Lin Xuan's role in overseeing key defensive positions, using innovative strategies that he developed based on his unique blend of ancient and modern warfare knowledge.
Heroic Actions: Include a pivotal scene where Lin Xuan leads a counter-attack to reclaim a breached gate, demonstrating his bravery and commitment to the kingdom.
Betrayal and Heroism:
Exposure of Betrayers: Amidst the battle, expose the involvement of high-ranking nobles who have sided with the enemy, using scenes where they are caught red-handed by Lin Xuan’s loyalists.
Acts of Valor: Feature several minor characters introduced earlier in the story performing acts of heroism, some sacrificing their lives, which adds depth and emotional weight to the narrative.
Turning the Tide:
Critical Confrontation: Describe a tense moment when the enemy nearly overruns the royal palace, and Maya personally leads a daring charge that turns the tide of the battle.
Capture of Traitors: Show the successful capture and arrest of the traitorous nobles during the chaos, securing a strategic victory for Maya and Lin Xuan.
Aftermath and Reflection:
Surveying the Damage: After repelling the invaders, depict Maya and Lin Xuan walking through the battlefield at dawn, assessing the damage and tending to the wounded.
Reaffirming Vows: End with Maya reaffirming her vow to protect her kingdom and its people, with Lin Xuan by her side, as they prepare for potential future conflicts.
Chapter Ending:
Celebration and Mourning: Conclude with the kingdom celebrating their hard-won victory but also mourning their losses, highlighting the dual nature of war.
Foreshadowing Future Challenges: End on a note that suggests the battle might be over but the war is not, as scouts report movements suggesting the enemy might be regrouping for another assault.
Create my version of this story
I’m a historian from the United States, born in China.
I’ve been going through ancient scrolls for a very long time.
What I want is to find out how human societies developed.
One of the questions that has always puzzled me is how matrilineal societies evolved into patrilineal societies.
My Chinese ancestors have left several scrolls on this topic, but they have all been lost or destroyed over time.
So, I searched for a scroll written in the Kingdom of Women.
I didn’t expect that one day, I would actually travel back in time to the Kingdom of Women.
The Kingdom of Women is not just a myth—it really existed!
Located in the southwest of China, at the foot of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the shores of Lugu Lake, this ancient kingdom was the residence of the Mosuo people.
This region is also known as a place where two cultures coexist—the matriarchal Mosuo people and the patrilineal Naxi people.
At that time, I didn’t know that I would come here, let alone that I would embark on a journey to save the ancient kingdom.
Since my arrival here, I have discovered many interesting aspects of this land.
The scenery here is very beautiful.
I think it’s a place with the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen in my life.
I’ve been to many places, but I’ve never seen such beautiful and spectacular scenery.
The mountain peaks are covered with snow all year round, and the trees are green and lush all year round.
They grow by the lake and stretch into the distance with no end in sight.
There are many red flowers on the lakeshore.
When it’s windy, it looks like a red sea from afar.
The red sea always attracts many migratory birds to land there.
There are lakes and snow mountains, forests and rivers, many civilizations coexisting, and even two different systems of civilization that have emerged from different bloodlines—matrilineal and patrilineal civilizations—coexisting.
This kingdom is located at a very important crossroads between eastern and western cultures.
It has been influenced by both civilizations for thousands of years.
In fact, there are many different cultures here.
The Mosuo people have been living here for a long time, but they are not the only people who have lived here.
The Naxi people have lived here for a long time too, as well as the Pumi people, the Bai people, and the Yi people
All these ethnic groups have their own languages, writing systems, traditions, and religions.
The Mosuo people, who follow a matrilineal civilization, live in the ancient kingdom on the shores of Lugu Lake, while the Naxi people, who follow a patrilineal civilization, live in the town of Lijiang at the foot of the mountain.
Although the two civilizations have been separated by the lake for thousands of years, they have coexisted peacefully.
There was no conflict between them, which was very rare in human history.
I don’t know if this was because their minds were broad enough to accept different cultures, or if they had their own reasons that we don’t know about yet.
In short, during my stay in the ancient kingdom, I have never seen any conflicts between the two civilizations or between different ethnic groups living in the same area.
The Naxi people’s religion is called Dongba religion.
The Dongba people believe that history is divided into several different eras.
I like the Naxi Dongba culture very much.
I think it’s very similar to the ancient Egyptian civilization.
It has its own writing system and religion.
It’s very ancient and rich in content.
It’s also very interesting and unique.
Since I came to the ancient kingdom, I’ve been studying the Naxi Dongba culture.
I got to know some of the Mosuo elders and learned a lot from them.
They are very knowledgeable people.
I don’t know how many times they are older than me.
They are not only historians and philosophers but also scientists and artists.
They are very wise and insightful people.
After talking with them for a while, I learned that they knew very well about the Naxi Dongba culture and were willing to share their knowledge with me.
I was very moved.
I knew that the survival of the Naxi Dongba culture in the world today was very rare.
Even though there were many people living in Yunnan province today, few people actually knew about the Naxi Dongba culture or believed in it.
The Naxi Dongba culture has been influenced by different civilizations for thousands of years.
It has changed and developed over time, but it has always maintained its own unique characteristics.
As an anthropologist and historian of Chinese descent, my main research interest is the development of human societies.
I think it is important to study their culture and learn from them so that we can better understand the process of human development and avoid making the same mistakes they made in the past.
I know that studying a living culture raises some ethical questions, but I don’t think it’s necessarily wrong to study it as long as we can respect them and learn from them.
As an anthropologist who studies the development of human societies, I believe it is important to study all cultures, regardless of whether they are alive or dead.
If we can respect their customs and learn from their wisdom, I believe that we can benefit greatly.
I told the Mosuo elders that I wanted to read their sacred texts.
They were very happy to show me their most precious and secret books, but they said that I had to undergo certain rituals to be able to read them.
I had no choice but to tell them that I was willing to do whatever it took to read their sacred texts.
My research assistant, Zhang Wei, was very happy to have the opportunity to learn about the Naxi Dongba culture and was eager to study with me.
As an anthropologist, I have always been fascinated by matrilineal societies.
In my opinion, matrilineal societies have many advantages over patrilineal societies, such as greater respect for women, greater freedom, greater equality between men and women, and more harmonious relationships between men and women.
It also has its own characteristics and advantages that patrilineal societies do not have.
Of course, patrilineal societies also have their own characteristics and advantages that matrilineal societies do not have, such as greater stability and continuity, greater efficiency, and more advanced technology.
However, in my opinion, the disappearance of matrilineal societies is a great loss to humanity and may be one of the reasons why our civilization has failed to achieve true harmony and balance with nature.
When I arrived in the Naxi Kingdom, I was very excited to have the opportunity to study their culture and learn about the history of this ancient civilization.
However, after spending several days here, I began to feel overwhelmed by the beauty of this place and the kindness of the people here.
The more I learned about their culture and customs, the more I wanted to study it in depth.
However, this raised some ethical questions in my mind: How far would I be willing to go to uncover the secrets of the Naxi Dongba culture?
Would I be willing to undergo all kinds of rituals and taboos?
Would I be willing to abandon my academic integrity?
The thought of having to betray my principles and values made me feel very uncomfortable.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that this was not just an academic question, but also a moral question.
As an anthropologist, my job is to study and understand all cultures, regardless of whether they are alive or dead, and to learn from their wisdom and experience.
But if I have to betray my principles and values in order to do my job, then is it really worth it?
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that this was not just a moral question, but also an existential one.
I realized that what was at stake here was not just my academic integrity, but my very soul.
I began to feel tears welling up in my eyes, and I was unable to stop them from flowing down my cheeks.
My research assistant, Zhang Wei, saw me crying and asked me what was wrong.
I told him that I was just feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of our expedition and the weight of responsibility that we had to protect the legacy of a disappearing culture.
He said that he understood how I felt and that he would do everything he could to support and help me.
Since then, I have been plagued by strange dreams and visions.
In one of these dreams, I saw a woman standing in front of me, but when I tried to remember who she was, her face became blurred and indistinct.
In another dream, I saw myself standing on a cliff overlooking the sea, but when I looked down, there was nothing there, and I realized that I was floating in midair.
These dreams and visions have made it difficult for me to focus on my research and have made me feel even more depressed and anxious about the future.
A few days ago, I attended a lecture given by Professor Ai Jia on the Naxi pictographic script, hoping that it would help me better understand their culture and answer some of the questions that have been troubling me.
The lecture was very informative and interesting, but unfortunately, it did not provide me with the answers that I was looking for.
After the lecture, I went to the library to do some more research, and while I was searching through the archives, I came across a scroll that caught my attention.
The title of the scroll is "The Heiress of the Kingdom of Women".
As I read the text, I realized that it was a story about a woman named Maya who was the heiress to the Kingdom of Women, and her struggle to preserve the matriarchal order in the face of societal and political changes.
The more I read, the more fascinated I became by the story, and I soon found myself completely absorbed in it.
The story seemed to resonate with me on a deep and profound level, and I felt as if I was reading my own story, rather than someone else's.
I don't know how long I spent reading the scroll, but by the time I finished, I had gained a much deeper understanding and appreciation of the history and culture of the Naxi Kingdom, and I felt more determined than ever to complete my research and uncover its secrets.
As I sat in the library, lost in thought, my eyes were drawn to an ancient scroll that was resting on a nearby table.
Unlike the other scrolls in the library, this one was glowing faintly, and I could feel a warm energy emanating from it.
I felt a strange sensation stirring within me, as if something deep inside me was being awakened.
I stood up and walked over to the scroll, and as I reached out to touch it, I felt a sudden rush of energy flow through my body, as if I had been struck by lightning.
I recoiled in shock and stumbled backwards, but as I looked up at the scroll, I felt a strange sense of familiarity wash over me.
It was as if I had seen this scroll before, or rather, as if it had seen me before.
My heart began to race, and I felt an overwhelming urge to unroll the scroll and see what secrets lay hidden inside.
Just as I was about to reach out and touch it, I heard someone calling my name.
"Lin Xuan, Lin Xuan, are you there?"
I turned around and saw Professor Ai Jia standing at the entrance of the library, looking at me with a concerned expression on his face.
"Professor Ai, what are you doing here?"I asked, trying to compose myself.
"We need to talk," he replied, his voice filled with urgency and an unusual hint of fear.
"I need you to meet me at my office right away."
I hesitated for a moment, torn between my desire to explore the secrets hidden within the scroll and my curiosity about what Professor Ai had to say.
In the end, I decided to follow him back to his office, but as we walked through the library, I couldn't help but look back at the scroll one last time.
For a moment, our eyes met, and I could swear that I saw a faint smile appear on its face before it disappeared into the darkness.
As we arrived at Professor Ai's office, he closed the door behind us and motioned for me to sit down.
I could tell from the expression on his face that something was wrong, and I felt a sudden sense of foreboding wash over me.
"Lin Xuan, I called you here today because I need your help," he said, his voice filled with concern.
For a moment, I sat there in stunned silence, unsure of how to respond.
I had spent years studying the history of human civilization, and I had always believed that I had a deep understanding of how societies developed and evolved over time.
But now, as I looked into Professor Ai's eyes, I realized that there was something I had been missing all along, something that would change everything I thought I knew.
"I think I've made a breakthrough," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I think I've found the answer."
Professor Ai stared at me in shock, and for a moment, I thought he was going to say something.
But before he could speak, the lights in the room flickered and went out, and I felt a strange force pulling me towards the center of the room.
I tried to cry out, but my voice was drowned out by the sound of the wind howling outside.
The next thing I knew, I was enveloped in a swirling vortex of light and shadow, and everything around me began to blur and fade away.
It felt as if I were being tossed about on the open ocean in the middle of a violent storm, with nothing but darkness all around me.
I could feel the world spinning around me, and my stomach churned with nausea.
I tried to focus on my breathing and keep calm, but the more I struggled, the stronger the force pulling me towards it became.
And just when I thought I couldn't hold on any longer, the storm finally began to subside, and I felt myself being gently lowered back down to solid ground.
I took a few deep breaths and opened my eyes, and as I looked around, I realized that I was no longer in Professor Ai's office.
Instead, I was standing in the middle of a vast, empty plain, with nothing but a swirling vortex of light and shadow in front of me.
I took a step forward, and the vortex began to spin faster and faster, until it finally exploded in a blinding flash of light.
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself standing at the edge of a vast, white sand beach, with the scorching sun beating down on me from high in the sky.
I shielded my eyes from the glare and looked out at the endless expanse of sand stretching out before me, and for a moment, I felt as if I were at the center of a vast desert.
But as I looked closer, I saw that there was something strange about the sand.
Instead of being brown or yellow like normal sand, it was pure white, as if it had been bleached by the sun.
I bent down and picked up a handful of sand, and as I let it slip through my fingers, I realized that it was not sand at all, but salt.
As I stood there, staring out at the endless expanse of white salt stretching out before me, I felt a wave of excitement wash over me.
I knew that I was on the brink of making a profound discovery, one that would change everything I thought I knew about human civilization.
I raised my hand to shield my eyes from the glare of the sun and took a step forward, ready to begin my journey into the unknown.
As I did, I heard a familiar voice calling out to me from behind.
I turned around and saw the ancient scroll floating in midair, beckoning me to come closer.
Without hesitating, I walked towards it, eager to see what other wonders it had in store for me.
But just as I reached out to grab it, the scroll suddenly unraveled itself and shot straight towards me.
Before I could react, it wrapped itself around my body and began to spin faster and faster, until everything went black.
When I finally came to, I was lying face down on the ground, with the ancient scroll still wrapped tightly around my body.
I groaned and sat up, rubbing my head and trying to remember what had happened.
My last memory was of standing on that vast expanse of white salt, with the sun blazing down on me, but now everything was dark and quiet.
I reached up to unwrap the scroll from around my body, but before I could do so, I heard a voice calling out to me from behind.
I turned around and saw that the scroll had somehow managed to open itself up again and was now floating in midair, with strange symbols glowing on its surface.
I reached out to touch it, but before I could make contact, the symbols began to glow brighter and brighter, until they were almost blinding in their intensity.
The scroll shuddered and shook, and then, with a deafening roar, it exploded in a shower of light and disappeared without a trace.
I sat there for a moment, staring at the empty space where the scroll had been just seconds before.
I had no idea what was happening or where I was or how I had gotten here.
All I knew was that it was hot—so hot that I could barely stand it.
The heat seemed to seep into my bones, filling me with a sense of deep unease.
I tried to get up and look around to see where I was, but the bright light made it impossible to see anything clearly without shading my eyes.
I looked around for something to use as a makeshift shade and saw that there was nothing around me but the endless expanse of white sand on all sides.
There were no trees or buildings or any other signs of human habitation, only the vast expanse of salt stretching out as far as the eye could see.
I tried to get up again and take a step forward, but my legs felt weak and unsteady after my long ordeal, and I stumbled and fell back to the ground.
As I lay there on my back, gasping for breath, I thought about my own life and how I had come to be here.
I thought about how hard I had worked over the years to get where I was today and how much I had sacrificed along the way—my youth, my friendships, my very soul—just to make a name for myself in the academic world.
And yet for all my efforts, I still felt like an outsider wherever I went—a perpetual foreigner without a country or a home or a place to belong.
I thought about how much I missed my mentor Professor Zhang, who had taken me under his wing when I first arrived in the United States as a graduate student and taught me everything he knew about Chinese history.
He was a kind and gentle man, and he had always been there for me when I needed him, encouraging me to follow my dreams and never give up, no matter what.
But now he was gone, and I was all alone in a strange and unfamiliar place, with no one to show me the way.
And so, with a heavy heart, I pushed myself up off the ground and began to walk.
I don’t know how long I walked or how far, but it seemed like forever and a day before I finally saw something that looked like it might be a sign of human habitation.
It was a small group of people, walking along the edge of the salt flat, carrying what appeared to be bundles of firewood.
As they drew closer, I could see that they were not like any people I had ever seen before.
Their skin was a reddish-brown color, like the sand itself, and their eyes were large and round, with irises that were almost completely black.
They were dressed in simple clothes made of cloth and leather, and they wore their hair long and loose around their shoulders.
They were clearly primitive people, but they did not look unhealthy or malnourished in any way.
On the contrary, they were tall and strong and muscular, with well-defined physiques that would have put most modern bodybuilders to shame.
What struck me most about them, however, was their eyes.
Their irises were so large that they almost completely covered the white of their eyes, giving them an otherworldly appearance that was both beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
It was as if they were not quite human or not quite real, but something else entirely—a different species altogether, perhaps, or a different kind of being that existed outside the normal bounds of human experience.
I watched them for a while, hiding behind a dune so that they would not see me, and I marveled at their strange and wondrous beauty.
But then I realized that I was not the only one watching them.
There was another group of people, hiding behind another dune on the other side of the salt flat, who seemed to be following them from a distance and observing them with great interest.
These people were dressed in similar clothes and looked very much like the first group, but their skin was fairer and their features were more delicate.
They looked like they might be some kind of scholars or scientists, studying the first group and gathering data for further analysis.
Or perhaps they were spies or scouts, sent out to gather information about the first group and report back to their superiors.
In any case, I did not like the look of them, and so I decided to leave before they spotted me and gave chase.
But as I turned to go, something caught my eye: a small boy, no more than five or six years old, who was running after the first group with what appeared to be a big smile on his face.
He looked like he might be one of them, or at least related to them in some way, and yet he was clearly different from the others in some important respect that I could not quite put my finger on.
And so, with a heavy heart, I stayed behind and watched as the first group continued on their way, while the second group followed along behind them at a safe distance, observing their every move and taking careful notes on everything they did.
The desert was hot, hotter than anything I had ever experienced before, and yet it did not seem to bother the people at all, who moved through it with the ease of animals in their natural habitat.
They moved in single file, their long, thin bodies glistening with sweat, while their feet left deep impressions in the sand that quickly filled up with windblown grains, leaving no trace of their passing.
They seemed to be used to traveling in this way, and they moved quickly and confidently, as if they knew exactly where they were going and what they needed to do to get there.
I watched them for a while longer, fascinated by their strange and alien ways, until it suddenly occurred to me that they might be able to help me.
I had been wandering around aimlessly for hours, trying to find my way out of the desert, but so far I had not been able to make any progress at all, and I was starting to get desperate.
But if these people could travel through the desert with such ease, then perhaps they would be willing to teach me how to do it as well, so that I could get out of here before it was too late.
I got up from my hiding place and followed after them, moving as quietly as I could so that they would not hear me coming.
They were moving very quickly now, and it was all I could do to keep up with them, but I was determined not to lose sight of them, no matter what it took.
I followed them for several miles, until the sun began to set and the sky turned bright orange, and then I saw something that made me stop in my tracks: there were no footprints in the sand behind them, no traces of their passing at all, as if they had never been there in the first place.
I was amazed by this discovery and wondered how they had managed to travel through the desert without leaving any signs of their presence, but then I realized that it did not matter: what mattered was that they knew how to do it, and now I just needed to learn from them how it was done.
But then another thought occurred to me: what would I call them?
I had always been a man of science and reason, who believed in the power of observation and classification above all else, but now that I was faced with a new and mysterious culture that I knew nothing about, I realized that I did not know where to begin or how to proceed.
Should I give them a name based on their physical appearance or their behavior?
Or should I wait until I knew more about them before making a decision?
I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do next, and then a memory came back to me: the time when I had discovered a rare species of bird in the Amazon rainforest and given it a name based on its distinctive coloring, only to later learn that the local tribe worshipped the bird as a god and considered it sacred above all other creatures on earth.
I did not want to make the same mistake again, so I decided to wait and see what would happen.
I waited until the sun had completely set and the sky was filled with millions of twinkling stars, and then I continued to follow the group as they moved through the darkness.
They did not seem to be in any hurry now, but instead walked slowly and leisurely as if they were going on a Sunday stroll in the park.
I found this behavior very strange and wondered why they were acting this way.
It did not make any sense to me: if they were in such a rush before to get somewhere quickly, why did they suddenly slow down and take their time once the sun had set?
I thought about this for a while and then realized that I did not have an answer.
I decided to observe them further and see if I could learn anything else about their behavior or habits that would help me understand what was going on.
The men were all very muscular and well-built, and they walked with a powerful and confident stride that made me think they were military men or athletes of some sort.
Their skin was a reddish-brown color that I had never seen before in anyone else and their eyes were large and round and dark brown like a deer’s.
They wore loin cloths made of some kind of animal hide and carried sharp stone-tipped spears on their shoulders.
The women were also muscular and well-built and walked with the same powerful and confident stride as the men.
They wore short skirts made of grasses and leaves and carried small baskets on their backs.
I looked at their faces and saw that they were not like any people I knew or had ever seen before.
They did not look like Africans or Europeans or Asians or Native Americans but instead seemed to be a mixture of all of these different races and ethnic groups combined into one.
This puzzled me and made me wonder: how could this be?
How could such a diverse group of people have evolved from the same original population and then come together to form a single community in the middle of the desert?
It did not make any sense to me and I did not understand how it was possible.
I thought about this for a while and then realized that I did not have an answer: I was simply too ignorant to know what was going on and needed to learn more before I could make any conclusions or judgements for myself.
I decided to try and communicate with them by waving my hand in the air and shouting at them in several different languages to see if they would respond.
The group stopped and turned to look at me, but they did not seem to understand what I was doing or saying and simply stood there staring at me in silence.
I looked at their leader, a tall and muscular man with a headdress adorned with feathers and a necklace of animal teeth around his neck, and waved my hand at him to see if he would respond.
He looked at me for a moment and then turned and said something to his companions in their strange language before walking over to where I was standing and stopping a few feet away from me.
He looked at my outstretched hand for a moment and then hesitated before taking a step forward and holding out his own hand in front of him as if he wanted to shake mine.
I looked at him for a moment and then smiled and nodded my head before stepping forward and shaking his hand firmly to show him that I meant no harm to him or his people.
He looked at me for a moment and then nodded his head before stepping back and pointing at his outstretched hand as if he wanted me to give him something.
I looked at him for a moment and then realized that he was pointing at the ancient scroll I was carrying in my hand and wanted me to give it to him so he could see it for himself.
I looked at him for a moment and then nodded my head before handing it over to him and watching as he unrolled it and examined it closely for himself.
He looked at it for a few moments and then turned it around so I could see it as well before pointing at one of the figures on the scroll and saying something in his strange language that I did not understand but assumed meant something like “Who is this?”
I looked at the figure he was pointing at and recognized it as the King of Nanzhao, a powerful ruler who had once controlled a large region of southern China before being conquered by the Tang Dynasty in 902 AD.
I pointed at it and said “This is the King of Nanzhao” in Chinese, but he did not seem to understand what I was saying and simply stared at me in confusion as if he were waiting for me to explain it further.
I said “This is a picture of a powerful ruler who once controlled a large region of southern China before being conquered by the Tang Dynasty in 902 AD” but he still did not seem to understand what I was saying and simply stood there staring at me silently without saying anything or making any movement to show that he had heard or understood me.
I paused for a moment to see if he would respond and then continued by saying “He is one of many historical figures that are depicted on this ancient scroll, which is believed to be over 1,000 years old and was written by members of the Naxi ethnic group who lived in the region during that time period” but he still did not seem to understand what I was saying and simply stared at me in confusion as if he were waiting for me to explain it further.
I looked at him for a moment and then smiled and nodded my head before saying “Yes, it is very interesting indeed” but he still did not seem to understand what I was saying and simply stared at me silently without making any movement or expression to show that he had heard or understood me.
I looked at him for a moment and then realized that he was waiting for me to say something further so he could understand what I was talking about, so I decided to explain it to him in more detail.
I started by saying “The Naxi ethnic group is known for its unique matrilineal culture, which has been passed down from generation to generation for over 2,000 years and is believed to have originated from the Kingdom of Women, an ancient matriarchal society that existed in the region during the prehistoric period” but he still did not seem to understand what I was saying and simply stared at me silently as if he were waiting for me to explain it further.
I paused for a moment to see if he would respond and then continued by saying “The Naxi people are descendants of the Kingdom of Women, which was founded by women who lived in the region during the prehistoric period before being conquered by the Han Chinese in 202 BC” but he still did not seem to understand what I was saying and simply stared at me in confusion as if he were waiting for me to explain it further.
I realized that he was waiting for me to say something further and then I told him that “The Naxi people are one of many ethnic groups that live in the region and can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty, which was one of the earliest dynasties in China and is believed to have existed before 1500 BC” but he still did not seem to understand what I was saying and simply stared at me silently without making any movement or expression to show that he had heard or understood me.
I looked at him for a moment and then smiled and nodded my head before saying “Yes, it is very interesting indeed” but he still did not seem to understand what I was saying and simply stared at me silently without making any expression or movement to show that he had heard or understood me.
I realized that he was waiting for me to say something further so he could understand what I was talking about, so I decided to explain it to him in more detail.
My name is Lin Xuan and I am a historian from the United States.
For as long as I can remember, I have always been passionate about history and have spent countless hours reading books and articles to expand my knowledge on the subject.
A few years ago, I decided to pursue my passion further by enrolling in a Ph.
program at one of the top universities in the country, where I specialized in studying ancient civilizations and cultures from around the world.
But for me, this journey was more than just an academic pursuit – it was an adventure into the unknown, driven by my insatiable curiosity and thirst for knowledge beyond the boundaries of traditional scholarship.
As soon as I set foot on the shores of Lugu Lake, surrounded by snow-capped mountains on all sides, I felt an overwhelming sense of awe and inspiration.
It was easy to see why Joseph Rock was so captivated by this place when he first arrived here over a century ago.
This place is truly one of the most beautiful and serene places that I have ever seen, and the journey to get here was well worth it.
As soon as the boat docked on the shores of Lugu Lake, I stepped off and took in the breathtaking scenery that surrounded me – the azure waters that stretched out into the distance, reflecting the clear blue sky above, and the snow-capped mountains that towered in the background, creating a perfect backdrop to this incredibly peaceful and harmonious place.
It was easy to see why this place was considered sacred to the ancient Naxi people, who believed that it was created by the goddess Gemu, and served as a bridge between heaven and earth, connecting the two realms together and ensuring that the harmony and balance were maintained in the world below.
As soon as I arrived in Lijiang, the nearest major city to Lugu Lake, I set out on my journey to find this hidden paradise, guided by the stories and legends that Joseph Rock had collected during his expeditions to this region over a century ago.
I soon found myself standing on the shores of the lake, with the towering Jade Dragon Snow Mountain looming in the distance, its majestic peak piercing the clouds and reaching up towards the heavens above, as if trying to make contact with the divine.
The mountain was truly an awe-inspiring sight to behold, with its snow-capped peak glistening in the sunlight, and the gently sloping slopes covered in dense forests and lush greenery that stretched out as far as the eye could see.
I had read many stories and legends about this mountain, but nothing could quite prepare me for the sheer scale and beauty of it all.
I felt an overwhelming sense of excitement as I realized that I had finally arrived in the Naxi Kingdom, and was eager to explore and learn more about this ancient civilization that had fascinated me for so long.
As I made my way towards the village at the foot of the mountain, I marveled at the unique and beautiful architecture of the Naxi people, with its distinctive wooden houses and red-tiled roofs that looked like something out of a fairy tale.
I also couldn’t help but notice the local customs and traditions that were still very much alive in this place, with the villagers dressed in their traditional attire and going about their daily lives just as they would have done hundreds of years ago.
As a historian, this was a dream come true for me, and I knew that my journey to the Naxi Kingdom would provide me with invaluable insights and information that would help me further my research on ancient civilizations and cultures.
But just as I was starting to feel incredibly pleased with myself for making it all the way here, my moment of tranquility and satisfaction was shattered by a sudden rumble that shook the ground beneath my feet.
At first, I thought it was an earthquake, but as the rumble grew louder and louder, turning into a deafening roar, I realized that it was coming from somewhere else.
I looked up towards the sacred mountain, trying to figure out what was happening, when suddenly a massive avalanche of snow and ice came crashing down the slopes of the mountain, sending clouds of white dust and debris billowing into the air.
The Naxi villagers let out terrified screams as they fled for their lives, trying to get as far away from the mountain as possible before they were buried alive by tons of snow and ice.
I stood there frozen in shock for a moment, unsure of what to do as I watched the avalanche speed down the mountain like a runaway train, destroying everything in its path.
But then my survival instincts kicked in, and I quickly turned on my heels and ran for my life, sprinting as fast as my legs would carry me towards the safety of the village at the foot of the mountain.
As an academic who had spent most of my life buried in books and research papers, this was the first time that I had ever been in such a dangerous situation, and it served as a sharp reminder that not everything goes according to plan when you’re out exploring the world.
The Kingdom of Women: Chapter 4
After escaping from the avalanche by the skin of my teeth, I took a moment to catch my breath before continuing my journey into the heart of the Naxi Kingdom.
I bypassed the village at the foot of the mountain and headed towards Lige – a larger settlement where the Mosuo people lived – as it seemed to be preparing for some kind of significant event.
It was an easy decision to make as there was only one path leading up to the sacred mountain, but as soon as I took my first few steps on it, I quickly realized that the journey wasn’t going to be as straightforward as I had initially thought.
The path was unpaved, but surprisingly clean and well-maintained.
There were no weeds growing along the sides of the road, nor was there any trash to be seen anywhere.
In fact, the only sign that people had been walking along this path was the thin layer of footprints that had been left in the dirt by countless pairs of sandals.
The sight of these footprints made me realize that the people here lived in perfect harmony with their environment – a rare phenomenon in this day and age – and it filled me with a sense of awe and admiration.
As I continued to walk along the path, I couldn’t help but think about how wonderful it would be if more people in the world were like them – if we all took care of our planet like they did – instead of constantly exploiting it for profit.
It was a dream that seemed almost impossible to achieve in this day and age, given how much damage we had already done to our environment, but seeing how beautiful and clean this place was made me realize that it wasn’t too late to change our ways.
It gave me hope for the future – hope that one day we could all live in harmony with nature like the Mosuo people did – and it made me even more determined to do my part to help make this dream a reality.
As these thoughts continued to swirl around in my head, I slowly but surely made my way towards Lige.
The village came into sight an hour later, when the sun had already risen high into the sky.
It was a breathtakingly beautiful sight to behold.
The village was nestled amidst terraced fields that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Each household had a unique design with colourful patterns painted on its walls, yet despite their differences, all of them somehow managed to blend together perfectly to form an incredibly harmonious whole with the surrounding natural landscape.
It wasn’t hard to see why this place was regarded as one of the most beautiful places in all of China; the entire place looked like a picture postcard come to life.
I stood there staring at it for a long time before finally tearing my gaze away from it and turning my attention towards the women who were working in the fields below so that I could ask them if they knew where Maya’s home was.
But just as I opened my mouth to speak… “Hey you!”
A stern voice suddenly called out to me from behind, startling me so much that I almost jumped out of my skin.
I quickly turned around to see who it was, only to find myself face-to-face with a group of women who were glaring at me with curiosity written all over their faces.
“What are you doing here?”
I wasn’t expecting to see them there, and it took me a moment to recover from the shock of seeing them, but once I did, I quickly put on my best smile and replied, “I’m here to see Maya.”
The women exchanged glances with one another and then smiled as they nodded in response.
I’m sure you are,” the same woman said as she smiled at me, “but first, you must come with us.
We need to make sure you are properly attired for the occasion.”
I was too surprised to say anything, and before I knew it, the women had already turned around and were walking back up the path, leaving me standing there all alone.
For a moment, I debated whether or not I should follow after them, but in the end, I decided to do so since I had no other choice.
I followed them back to the village and was led into a courtyard where they handed me a set of clothes to change into.
I was a little hesitant at first, but they insisted that I put them on, so I did as I was told.
The clothes were a little tight on me, but they were still comfortable enough to wear.
After changing into them, the women led me out of the courtyard and into the village itself.
As we walked through the narrow streets, I saw men and women alike busily preparing for something, although I wasn’t quite sure what it was.
The women were all dressed in colourful clothes that were covered in beautiful patterns and designs, while their hair was adorned with silver flowers that sparkled in the sunlight.
The men were just as colourful as the women, wearing red belts around their waists and carrying silver pipes in their hands as they worked.
It was obvious that today was going to be a special day, given how everyone was dressed up like this, but what kind of special day it was, I still had no idea.
We soon reached the centre of the village, where some of the other villagers were setting up tables and chairs in the square so that everyone could sit down and eat together when the time came.
I noticed that the tables and chairs were arranged in two long rows, with men on one side and women on the other, but what surprised me the most was that there didn’t seem to be any kind of segregation between the two – something that went against traditional Chinese customs.
In fact, from what I could see, men and women seemed to be sitting together quite happily, even as they worked side by side to set everything up.
It was an interesting sight to behold, and one that I couldn’t help but observe with great interest as I continued to follow the women through the village.
We soon reached a small clearing on the outskirts of town, where I saw a group of men and women working together to dig a large hole in the ground while another group tended to a fire nearby.
The women told me to wait for them there before disappearing into the forest, leaving me alone with the other villagers who were working there.
I stood off to one side and watched as they worked, and as I did, I couldn’t help but marvel at how efficient they were at what they were doing.
The men and women worked together in perfect harmony, each person doing their part without any regard for traditional gender roles, and as a result, they managed to get things done much faster than I had thought possible.
It wasn’t long before they had finished digging the hole in the ground and had started to fill it with water from a nearby stream, but instead of just using buckets to do this as I had expected them to, they actually went out of their way to make sure that the water was clean before putting it in the hole by filtering out all the dirt and debris first.
I found this practice to be quite interesting since it reminded me of how my ancestors had always placed great importance on water sources and had gone out of their way to make sure that they remained clean so that future generations could continue to enjoy them for years to come.
As a result, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride in my heritage as I watched these villagers do their part to preserve the environment in such a similar way.
I must have been standing there for quite some time before one of the villagers finally approached me and asked if I would like to see something interesting.
I readily agreed and followed him out of the clearing and back onto the main road where I soon found myself walking alongside a man named Ah Xing who told me he would be taking me somewhere very important.
As we walked, I noticed that the stream we were following had become clearer than it was before and that there were now fish swimming around in it as well.
I asked Ah Xing where we were going, but he just smiled and told me to be patient.
I must have asked him this question several times during our journey, but no matter how many times I did, his answer always remained the same.
It wasn’t until we had been walking for nearly an hour that I finally saw what I had been waiting for this entire time: Lugu Lake.
The sight of the crystal-clear waters reflecting the surrounding mountains and forests took my breath away, and for a moment, I found myself standing there completely speechless as I gazed out at its beauty.
It wasn’t until Ah Xing tugged at my arm that I finally tore my eyes away from the lake and looked down at him.
He smiled up at me once more before leading me down a narrow path that ran along the edge of the water and eventually came to an end at a wooden dock that extended out into the lake.
Ah Xing said as he stepped off the dock and onto the shore, “This is Lugu Lake, also known as Mother’s Tear to our people.”
I repeated his words before asking him why they called it that.
He gestured for me to follow him before walking over to one side of the dock where he crouched down and dipped his hand into the water.
As he did this, he said, “The Naxi people believe that Lugu Lake is the mother of all life in our kingdom, and it is from her tears that everything was born.
That is why we treat her with the respect she deserves and go out of our way to preserve her beauty so that future generations can continue to enjoy her as well.”
I listened to his words and nodded my head in agreement, for I too believed that humans should do everything in their power to protect and preserve the environment for future generations to enjoy.
After that, Ah Xing led me around the lake, and as we walked, I noticed that there were several small villages located nearby as well.
When I asked him about this, he said, “Yes, there are many villages like this one located around Lugu Lake, and most of them belong to the Mosuo people.
The Mosuo people are an ethnic minority group that has lived here for thousands of years, and they are known for their matrilineal society and unique culture as well.”
I found this information to be quite interesting and asked him if I could talk to some of them and learn more about their culture first hand.
He smiled and nodded his head in agreement before leading me into one of the villages to meet with some of its residents.
The village we entered into was one of the larger ones I had seen so far, and it consisted of several large wooden houses located around a central square.
As we walked through the square, I noticed a group of elderly women sitting under a large camphor tree nearby, weaving what appeared to be fabric on foot-treadle looms.
Their work looked quite intricate and time-consuming, but I couldn’t help but be drawn to it nonetheless.
“Ah Xing,” I said as I pointed in their direction, “who are they and what are they doing?”
“The women you see over there are the Mosuo elders,” he replied.
“They have come together today to weave some fabric on foot-treadle looms using traditional techniques that have been passed down through the generations.
Would you like to go over and talk to them?”
I smiled and nodded my head in agreement before walking over to where the Mosuo elders were working with Ah Xing in tow.
As I approached them, I noticed that they were all dressed in colorful and elaborate attire that looked like it had been designed to blend in with the natural beauty of their surroundings.
They also appeared to be quite skilled at what they were doing and had already finished weaving several pieces of fabric that featured complex patterns and designs on them as well.
When the Mosuo elders noticed me standing nearby, they stopped what they were doing and looked up at me.
One of them then smiled and said something in Naxi that I didn’t understand, but Ah Xing quickly translated it for me.
She said that you appear to be quite curious about what we are doing and have come here to learn more about us.
I smiled and nodded my head in agreement before asking if she would mind telling me about their work.
She smiled once more and said, “I would be happy to, but first I would like to invite you to sit down and watch us work.
Would that be all right with you?”
I smiled and replied, “Of course it is.”
After that, she gestured for me to take a seat on one of the wooden stools located nearby before walking over to her loom, which was located at the far end of the row.
As she sat down in front of it and started to weave, she said, “We are using foot-treadle looms to weave our fabric today, which is the traditional way that Naxi women have done it for centuries.If you would like, I can show you how it works?”
I shook my head and said, “Yes, please do.”
I then watched as she worked and was immediately captivated by what I saw.
Although her movements were slow and deliberate, she was able to create complex patterns and designs on her loom with ease, and I couldn’t help but wonder how she was able to do this without making any mistakes.
Seeing the look of amazement on my face, Ah Xing quickly explained the process to me.
As she did so, I found myself becoming increasingly intrigued by what she was saying and was soon able to understand how the different parts of the loom worked together to create the final product.
However, I also realized that there was something more to their work than simply weaving fabric on a loom and couldn’t help but wonder what it was.
Seeing the puzzled expression on my face, Ah Xing asked me what I thought about it.
I said that it seemed as if their work was more than just weaving fabric to me because the patterns they were creating on their looms were very beautiful and intricate.
Ah Xing smiled when she heard this and said that I was quite observant for someone who had never seen them work before, but that the patterns they were creating on their looms were actually meant to be more than just beautiful to look at.
She then walked over to one of the finished pieces of fabric that was lying on the ground nearby and picked it up before gesturing for me to come over and take a closer look at it with her.
As I walked over to her, I saw that the fabric was made out of silk and had several different patterns woven into it that featured various animals and plants along with some other objects that I didn’t recognize.
I also noticed that the colors they used in their work were very bright and vibrant, which made the patterns stand out even more against the white background on which they were woven.
Seeing the look of amazement on my face, Ah Xing asked me if I could understand what each pattern represented.
I shook my head in response and said that I couldn’t because there were so many different ones woven into the fabric that I had lost track of them all already.
However, I also told her that there was one thing I had noticed about them which was that some of the patterns seemed to be quite similar to each other in terms of how they were arranged on the fabric since they all featured a central object or theme surrounded by several others that seemed to be connected to it in some way.
Ah Xing smiled when she heard this and said that I was quite perceptive because their patterns were actually meant to represent the balance and harmony found in nature and life itself.
She then walked over to one of the other finished pieces of fabric that was lying on the ground nearby and picked it up before showing it to me as well.
As she did so, she said that each pattern they created told a different story about the world around them and that these stories were not just tales but living memories of their past and ancestors who had lived before them.
She then pointed at one of the patterns on the fabric and said that it was called “The Butterfly and the Pine Tree.”
After hearing this, I immediately asked her what this story was about and why they had chosen to name one of their patterns after it, but Ah Xing only smiled at my curiosity in response.
As she looked at me, she said that she would be happy to explain everything about this story to me if I really wanted to know.
I nodded at her in response and said that I would be very grateful if she could do this.
In reply, Ah Xing turned around and said that she would be happy to do so but that I would have to listen carefully since it would take some time for her to tell me everything there was to know about this story.
She then sat down on a small stool and motioned for me to sit down beside her as well before she began narrating the following tale:
“There once existed a lovestruck butterfly who had fallen in love with a beautiful pine tree in front of which she would dance every day.
The butterfly loved the pine tree so much that she swore to protect him against all danger and harm no matter what it cost her.
She would fly around him every day in order to chase away all of the bugs and pests that tried to eat him while at night she would even give him some of her own life energy so that he could grow stronger and taller than any other tree around.
However, despite her best efforts, there were still some bugs and pests that managed to escape her watchful eyes and attack him when she wasn’t looking.
When this happened, the pine tree would always cry out for help and try to call her back to him as quickly as possible because he knew that she was his only hope for survival.
Thankfully, no matter how far away she had flown or how much energy she had given him already, the butterfly would always come back to him immediately whenever he needed her help and drive away all of his attackers.
And so despite all of the dangers and obstacles that stood in their way, both of them remained strong and unyielding in their love and loyalty towards each other until they finally managed to overcome everything that came between them and live happily ever after.”
“Wow, that’s such a beautiful story!”
I exclaimed after hearing Ah Xing’s tale, which made me feel so many different emotions all at once that I didn’t even know where to begin expressing them.
There was love, there was loyalty, there was sacrifice, there were so many things being conveyed here that I didn’t even know where to begin describing them all because they were simply too overwhelming for words!
“Is it really true?”
When I asked Ah Xing this question, she only smiled at me in response and said that she didn’t know if it was true or not since she had only heard it from someone else before but that it didn’t really matter anyway because it was such a beautiful story when you thought about it carefully.
She then added that this story reminded her a lot of my own story as well since I seemed to be just as lovestruck as the butterfly was when she had first met me, which made me feel quite embarrassed when I heard this since I knew that what she said was true!
However, I also knew that she meant well by saying this, so I simply smiled back at her in return before I looked over at the other weaver to see how she was doing with her work.
The other weaver was still working on the same section of the fabric that the first weaver had been working on before, but instead of continuing on from where the first weaver had left off, it seemed like she was starting all over again from the beginning because the fabric that she had been working on before was now being cut into small strips by the first weaver and then carefully tied together by the second weaver after they were done with the cutting process in order to make sure that nothing went to waste in the end.
“Why is she doing this?”
I asked Ah Xing after seeing what the second weaver was doing with the fabric, to which Ah Xing told me that the first weaver had been working on the sky ladder pattern when she passed it over to the second weaver before, but since the second weaver hadn’t been able to remember the exact position of all of the stars on the fabric after turning it over so many times while working on the details of their patterns, she had decided to start all over again from the beginning this time in order to make sure that everything lined up perfectly with what they had in mind for the final design in the end.
I then heard Ah Xing say that there were some parts of the design that they wanted to change a little bit compared to what had been done before as well since they had already decided on a new pattern for the fabric after talking with each other for a little while earlier on, so they would need to erase some of the old patterns from the fabric before they could start weaving the new patterns into it instead.
“What’s the sky ladder pattern?”
I asked Ah Xing after hearing what she had said about their final design, to which she smiled back at me before she turned around to show me a piece of fabric that the other weaver had just finished working on not too long ago.
Upon seeing this piece of fabric, I could see that the sky ladder pattern that Ah Xing had mentioned earlier on looked quite similar to how it had been described in the story, with the fabric itself being a dark shade of blue while the stars were white in color, but instead of being scattered all over the place like what you would normally expect to see with most starry night skies in general, all of the stars here were arranged into a long line instead, which made them look like they were forming some sort of a ladder in the sky.
After taking a closer look at this piece of fabric, I then heard Ah Xing say that this sky ladder pattern was a very important symbol for them in particular because it represented the connection between the earthly realm and the heavenly realm, which meant that it acted like a bridge between the two realms so that people’s souls could travel between them freely whenever they needed to without any problems at all.
This also meant that when someone died, their soul would have to climb up this ladder in order to reach the afterlife eventually, so it was very important for them to maintain the purity of this ladder whenever they were working on it in order to make sure that no one stumbled or fell off from it while they were trying to reach the other side.
Upon hearing Ah Xing say this, I then looked back at the fabric that the weavers were working on with a new sense of appreciation in my heart since I could see all of the other patterns now being woven into it one by one around the sky ladder pattern, so I decided to take a closer look at them all in order to see what else I could learn about them while I had the chance to do so right now.
As I continued watching the weavers work on their fabric, I noticed that there were a lot of different patterns being woven into it all at once, with some of the patterns looking very similar to each other while others looking completely different instead, but no matter which ones you were looking at in particular, you could still see all of them lining up perfectly with each other in the end no matter how many times the weavers turned the fabric over and over again while they were working on it.
Just like how Ah Xing had said before, it was almost like they were working on multiple layers at once here rather than just a single layer alone like how most other weavers would normally do, which was actually quite interesting now that I thought about it more since it was also very similar to how many of the matrilineal societies would normally function as well since you could see that they were all working together here in order to make sure that everything got done properly without any problems at all.
“What kind of patterns are these?”
I asked Ah Xing while watching her work on the fabric over here, which made her stop momentarily before she took the time to answer my question right away.
“Some of these patterns are representing different things like animals or plants while others are representing important events or festivals instead,” she replied quite casually before she continued working on her fabric again shortly afterwards.
“But then there are also some patterns here that are representing death as well.
Like this one right here for example.”
After saying this, Ah Xing then turned around to show me another piece of fabric once again, but instead of showing me the sky ladder pattern like she did before, she showed me something completely different this time around instead, which was a combination of red flowers and white bones all woven together into a long line just like how the stars had been arranged into a long line before.
“What kind of pattern is this?”
I asked Ah Xing after taking a closer look at this piece of fabric, but instead of answering my question right away, she turned around and looked back at it herself before she took a deep breath and replied, “This is a mourning garment pattern.
It’s used for making clothes for deceased family members so that they have something to wear in the afterlife.”
While saying this, Ah Xing took a moment to compose herself before she continued, “The Naxi people don’t have any written language like what you do in your own world, so our stories are all passed down orally through our songs and dances rather than through our books or scrolls like what you would normally expect from most other cultures out there.
But then this also means that we have to find some way to keep all of our stories alive somehow, which is why our people usually express ourselves through our clothes by weaving different patterns into them whenever we can.”
When I heard Ah Xing saying this, I then turned my head around to look at all of the other weavers around me once again, and after seeing all of them working tirelessly on their fabrics just like how they had been doing before, I then realized that all of them were trying their best to tell their own stories through their art right now so that they could pass them down to future generations in a way that everyone could appreciate and understand.
“Why does death have to be represented with these kinds of patterns?”
I asked Ah Xing after hearing what she had said about their stories just now, which made her look back at me quite solemnly before she replied, “These patterns represent the sky ladder, which is used to guide souls to their final resting place in the afterlife once they’ve died, so it’s very important for us to maintain the purity of these patterns in order to make sure that no one’s soul gets lost along the way while they’re trying to climb up this ladder over here.”
Upon hearing Ah Xing say this, I then remembered how she had also said earlier on that death was something that they were not afraid of at all, so I decided to ask her more about it in order to see what else I could learn from her about their own culture.
“Why don’t people wear mourning clothes to mourn the deceased then?”
“Because we believe that life is short, so why would anyone want to spend all of their time being sad when they could be doing something happy instead?”
“But then what if someone doesn’t want to die just yet?
Wouldn’t these kinds of patterns scare them away?”
“Death is something that no one can avoid, so it’s better if we all just accept it as part of our lives rather than being afraid of it all the time,” Ah Xing replied after taking a moment to think about my question before she continued, “We all have our own destinies to fulfill here on this world, so why would anyone want to live forever when there are already so many other people out there who are dying as we speak?
Everything has a beginning and an end, including our lives, which is why it’s best if we all just enjoy the time that we have while we still can rather than wasting it on things that don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.”
As soon as she finished saying this, Ah Xing then turned around to look back at everyone else who was working on their fabrics right now, all of whom seemed to be filled with an air of tranquility as they focused on their work without any distractions or worries getting in their way at all.
“Life is short, so why would anyone want to spend all of their time being sad when they could be doing something happy instead…?
Everything has a beginning and an end, including our lives, which is why it’s best if we all just enjoy the time that we have while we still can rather than wasting it on things that don’t really matter…”
As Ah Xing’s words echoed in my ears, I then started to think more about them myself and realized just how true some of the things were that she had said to me earlier on.
After all, life was indeed short, so it would make sense for me to try and enjoy it while I still could rather than worrying about things that were beyond my control at this point.
Like those papers I had to grade when I got back to the U.
Sure, I would get them done eventually since I still had another two weeks before they were due, but then the thing was that I also didn’t want to spend all of my time here working on them either since I had come here for other reasons besides just for work right now.
But alas, there was nothing I could do about it right now except for to try and finish them as soon as possible and get them out of the way once and for all.
As I thought more about this, I then looked back at the direction where the elders had gone after they had left the camphor tree and realized that they were still working on their own fabric right now, so I decided to take another look at it once again in order to see what else I could learn from them this time around.
However, when I took another closer look at their fabric this time around, I then saw something even more amazing happening with it than what I had seen before.
Instead of seeing a mere pattern being woven into it like what I would have normally expected from most other pieces of fabric out there, I instead saw birds and flowers dance under the golden sun, which made me feel as though they were alive somehow.
I then watched as the birds flew high in the sky above the flowers and the flowers swayed back and forth with the wind, which made me feel as though I was part of some sort of fairytale right now rather than just a mere observer.
After a while, I then realized that the sun was starting to set over the horizon, so I then decided to go take a walk by the lakeshore in order to see its beauty from a different perspective somehow.
As I walked along the shore, I then saw the sun’s rays shining down on the surface of the lake, which made the water sparkle like gold and diamonds somehow.
I then stood there watching as the sun sank down into the water and the sky turned from gold and pinkish red to blue and purple, which made me feel a sense of tranquility inside my heart that I hadn’t felt in a long time somehow.
As I continued to stand there watching the sunset, I then heard a voice calling out to me from behind, which made me wonder who could be calling out to me like this at a time like this.
So, I then turned around and saw a young woman walking up to me from behind, who was dressed in a modernized interpretation of traditional Mosuo clothing right now but was still beautiful nonetheless.
As she stood before me with her long hair flowing in the breeze and her eyes sparkling with an otherworldly light, I then felt as though I was staring at a fairy right now rather than just any mere mortal woman.
“Hello there, are you here for me?”
the young woman asked me as she looked at me curiously from behind her long hair right now while standing before me right now.
As I looked at her from head to toe, I then noticed how beautiful she was right now since she had a perfect body and a pretty face that looked as though it could have been made out of porcelain somehow.
I then realized that she was probably one of those women that everyone had been talking about earlier on while I had still been talking to the elders back at the camphor tree somehow, so I decided that it would be best for me to try and treat her well by talking to her at this point rather than just ignoring her like what I normally would have done with most other people out there.
“Um… well… actually…”
I said as I tried to find my words somehow after looking at her for a while longer and trying to figure out what I should be saying at this point instead of just staring at her like some sort of idiot right now.
To be honest though, it was probably better for me not to say anything at this point since she was probably a little bit out of my league anyway given how pretty she was right now, but then I decided that it would be best for me not to give up so easily right now either since you never knew what could happen if you didn’t try at all.
So, I then decided that it was best for me not to give up so easily and try my best somehow in order to see what would happen next.
“Hey there, my name is Maya and I am the heiress of the Kingdom of Women over here,”
the young woman said as she smiled at me sweetly.
“Nice meeting you Maya,”
I said as I tried not to stutter too much while trying to talk to her right now.
“It’s nice meeting you too,”
she said as she smiled at me even more.
“Um… I am Lin Xuan… and I… um… actually saw you from a distance earlier on too,”
I said as I tried not to stutter too much.
“Oh… so you’re the one who was looking at me from a distance earlier on right now,”
she said as she blushed slightly.
“I was actually curious about why you were looking at me so much earlier on right now but then I realized that I was probably too pretty and that was why you were looking at me so much,”
she continued as she smiled even more.
“It’s not like that… it’s just that I have never seen someone who was so beautiful before that’s all,”
I said as I tried not to stutter too much.
“I know… I’m just teasing you,”
she said as she smiled at me even more.
“Well… anyway… nice meeting you and all… but how did you know that I was coming here anyway?”
I asked her curiously.
“I actually came here earlier on with my guardians somehow,”
she said.
“When we were on our way over here earlier on, they actually met some other people who were going in the opposite direction and they told us that you were coming back here right now,”
she continued.
“Oh… were you here with them earlier on?”
I asked.
“Yeah, I was here with them,”
she said.
“But they actually left me behind with a few other people while they went out to buy some natural dyes over there somehow,”
she continued.
“Um… they usually bring you with them when they go out?”
I asked.
“Yeah, most of the time when they go out somewhere, they would bring me along with them somehow,”
she said.
“They always bring me along with them somehow because they want me to get used to being around other people instead of always being cooped up in the palace like what I have always been doing all this while,”
she continued.
“Oh… I see…”
I said as I tried not to stutter too much anymore.
“So… how long have you been staying here for?”
she asked me curiously.
“I have been staying in the forest retreats here ever since I arrived in the Naxi Kingdom three months ago.”
“That’s good… It is nice here in the forest retreats after all,”
she said.
“My elders always bring me here whenever we come out of the palace somehow,”
“Yeah, it is pretty nice over here,”
I said as I looked all around me and saw that the sun was about ready to set over the horizon somehow.
“I actually have to go now since it’s almost night time already,”
I added.
“Um… when will you be back again after this?”
she asked me suddenly before I could even walk away from her right now.
“I don’t know… maybe in a few days or so…”
“Maybe we will be able to meet again then,”
“Well… maybe we will meet again then,”
I said as I smiled at her again and walked off into the distance somehow right now.
As soon as she saw that I was walking away from her, she suddenly whistled and a white horse appeared right before her eyes somehow before she rode off into the distance on the horse.
As she rode off into the distance on the horse, I then realized that she had been the one who had been riding the horse from the very beginning and that was probably why there had been no one with her on the horse when she arrived here earlier on somehow right now.
I was still feeling confused and bewildered by my encounter with Maya just now somehow right now.
I knew that the Naxi Kingdom was still under the influence of some very ancient religions which were still being practiced by its people even until today somehow.
The Naxi people believed in Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism but they also practiced the Dongba religion which was an ancient religion that had been created by the Naxi people themselves sometime during the Tang dynasty.
But it was also worth noting that the Naxi Kingdom was also one of those kingdoms which were under threat of being taken over by Western culture and influence sometime during the early 20th century if they were not careful enough with what they were doing with their kingdom.
It was because of this reason that most Chinese people today were still very much worried about what would happen if the Naxi Kingdom fell into the hands of outsiders who did not care very much about the culture and traditions of China itself.
The Naxi Kingdom was home to one of those very unique societies in China which were still being governed by women even until today somehow.
This was a society which was known as a matrilineal society where women were considered to be the heads of family and they controlled all aspects of society including politics and economy.
They also held all power in their hands and most men were considered to be nothing more than mere slaves who were only meant for procreation and manual labor.
However, while this had worked well for the Naxi Kingdom for thousands of years, it was also worth noting that they were under threat from Western culture because they had not evolved like most other societies in China.
This was also why most Chinese people did not want to see the Naxi Kingdom fall into the hands of outsiders who did not care very much about what they were doing with the kingdom itself.
As I walked along Lugu Lake, I knew that this was going to be a big problem for me because as a historian, my main job was to study human civilization and their development throughout history.
But while that was true for most historians, it was also worth noting that this was going to be a very big problem for me because as a historian who studied human civilization, my main job was to understand what had happened in human history.
But if what had happened in human history was being threatened by Western culture, what could I do about this matter right now?
How would this affect my research efforts if this had happened right now?
These were questions which I could not answer right now despite having walked along Lugu Lake for so long.
The sun had set over the horizon and it was getting dark all around me but I could not answer these questions at all right now.
It was probably because of this reason that my mind was so filled with questions right now that I did not even realize that there was a light that had suddenly appeared high up in the sky right now.
The light was bright and colorful, but it was also so small that it was very hard to see.
I stood there watching the light with a frown on my face but I was still not able to see what was happening with it.
This was because I was so far away from the source of the light that I did not even know how I could get closer to find out what was happening with the light.
But then, something strange happened because the light suddenly disappeared.
Although I knew that this was just a normal occurrence in life itself, I still could not help but wonder what had happened to the light.
I stood there wondering about this for a very long time but I was still not able to come up with an answer for this question.
It was probably because of this reason that I decided to go back to where I was staying so that I could rest for the night.
But as I walked along the path, something strange happened because the light suddenly appeared again.
This time, the light was even brighter than before and I could actually see the source of the light right now.
When I looked closer, I saw that there was something flying in the sky very fast right now.
It was very hard to tell what it was right now but when I looked again, I saw that there was a person flying in the sky.
The person was a woman who was very beautiful and almost looked like she was a fairy who had come down from heaven.
She had a rainbow glow around her body and was dressed in a bright yellow dress which flapped in the wind as she flew through the sky.
When she saw me watching her, she smiled at me and said: “You are one of the people who came here to study our civilization right?”
“Yes, I am,” I replied her with a smile on my face.
“I am Lin Xuan.”
“Why are you here?”
she asked me with a frown on her face.
“I am just here to study your civilization,” I replied her with a confused look on my face.
“Then do you know anything about matrilineal societies?”
I did not know what to say to her right now because this was something which even I did not know right now.
But then, she flew down to stand beside me and said: “You must have read about how women are considered to be inferior to men in most societies around the world right?”
“Yes, I have read about that,” I replied her with a frown on my face.
“But do you know that this is not true for your society?”
“No, it is not,” she replied me with a smile on her face.
“In our society, men and women are equal.”
“Is that so?”
I asked her with a confused look on my face.
“Yes it is,” she replied me with a smile on her face.
“But what you do not understand is that our society is not a reversal of patriarchal norms.”
“What do you mean by that?”
I asked her with a frown on my face.
“I mean that while men and women have equal rights in our society, they also have different roles,” she replied me with a smile on her face.
“Most men here are actually quite happy to be living in a matrilineal society right now because they can actually choose do to whatever they want to do without having to worry about women telling them what to do all the time.”
“What kind of roles do men and women have in your society then?”
“Men are supposed to be warriors, hunters, and fishermen while women are supposed to be farmers, weavers, and artisans,” she replied me with a smile on her face.
“But there are also many other roles that men and women can take up if they want to be something else than a warrior or a farmer.”
“That is interesting,” I said to her with a smile on my face.
“Do you want to see more of our civilization though?”
she asked me with a smile on her face.
“Sure,” I replied her with a smile on my face.
“But where are we going first?”
she asked me while looking at me right now.
“I think that we should go to see a dance performance first if you do not mind,” she said to me with a smile on her face.
“I think that you will like it very much.”
I just nodded at her and followed her as she started walking towards a wooden structure which looked like an event stage from where we were standing right now.
When we had reached it, she took me inside where we saw a lot of people sitting around a big stage where some women were starting to perform a dance.
The dance performance was spectacular and I was completely mesmerised by it.
I had never seen something like this before and I was completely blown away by how beautiful the performance was right now.
When the performance had ended, she turned to me and said: “Did you enjoy that?”
“Yes, I did,” I replied her with a smile on my face.
“Then do you want to see more?”
I just nodded at her because I was having a very good time right now but when I looked at her, I saw that she was looking at me with a frown on her face.
“What is the matter?”
I asked her with a confused look on my face.
She did not say anything to me right now though and instead, she walked over to me and said: “Do you know what Naxi means?”
“It is a name for one of the tribes that live in the South West of China right now,” I said to her with a smile on my face.
“You are wrong about that,” she said to me.
“What do you mean by that?”
I asked her with a confused look on my face.
“It means people who have chosen to walk out of their shadows,” she said to me.
“That is interesting,” I replied her.
“Why do you say that?”
she asked me while looking at me right now.
“You are not dressed like any Naxi person that I have ever seen right now,” I replied her.
“That is because I am not like any Naxi person that you have ever seen before right now,” she replied me while looking at me right now.
But then, she turned around and started walking back towards the wooden structure which we had been in before.
When we had reached it, she stopped me and said: “Do you know why I am wearing this dress right now?”
I did not know what to say to her right now though so I just shook my head at her and said: “No, I do not.”
“Because this dress shows who I am as a woman,” she said while looking at me.
