Imagine if your brother raised your children and your husband visited a few times a week. This is the ancient cultural practice of the Mosuo people – one of the last surviving matriarchal societies in the world. In 2012, Erin O’Dwyer travelled to China’s Yunnan province with photographer Dave Tacon to learn more about the … Read More
High on the Tibetan plateau, on the pristine shores of Lugu Lake, a snaking line of young men and women dance Cossack-like around a flickering bonfire to the jaunty tune of a wooden flute. China’s Mosuo minority is one of the world’s last surviving matriarchies. Their fire dance is mostly for the tourists now. But … Read More
Qiao Wei hesitates for a moment, then opens the cage. The barking, growling pack bursts forth, charging him in a blur of black, tan and sable. They are mongrel dogs – about 200 cross-breeds – and their unkempt coats sprout in bristly patches, gouged with the scars of street fights and mistreatment. The dogs snarl … Read More
THE Australian tourist in the hotel lobby skids across the white marble tiles towards me. He has a boxer’s nose and wears a rumpled suit that pulls across his middle. “Quick,” he urges with a giddy grin. “What was that tip we were given at dinner last night?” A svelte French woman in diamonds and … Read More
To some, Islamic veils are expressions of faith. To others, they are symbols of oppression. Either way, they continue to spark debate. The latest controversy has flared in Europe, where first Belgium and, perhaps soon, France, will pass laws to stop Muslim women wearing the face-covering burqa or niqab in public. The author of Belgium’s … Read More