Lijiang is a land of music and dance--and diversity. Its various ethnic minority groups demonstrate diversity in their customs (and this diversity persists within each group as well). There are 11 nationalities here: Naxi, Yi, Lisu, Pumi, Bai, Dai, Miao, Zhuang, Tibetan, Hui, and Han.

For example, Naxi people in western Lijiang believe in the Protection God called Sanduo and observe celebrations such as "Sanduo Festival," "Offering Sacrifices to Heaven," and "Offering Sacrifices to Ancestors." Naxi men have maintained a musical tradition that has remained unchanged for nearly 800 years; the first classical Naxi orchestra was founded under Kublai Khan's patronage! Naxi women seem to perform all the manual labor in addition to managing the family budget, yet the men still retain ownership of the property.

However, the Mosuo people in eastern Lijiang worship the Goddess of Gunma and adhere to a matriarchal marriage system known as "Azu." To the Mosuo people, the mountains and waters are all endowed with fascinating female myths. On the occasion of the traditional ceremony of the "Mountain-Circling Festival," Mosuo girls dress in colorful costume to represent fairy maidens and beautiful butterflies. The Mosuo also maintain a true matrilineal society in which the house and the land pass from mother to daughter and all children remain attached to their mother's household for as long as they live. Most Mosuo still practice their "walking marriage" custom, whereby the man comes to the woman's house only at night and returns to his mother's home in the morning.

Meanwhile, the Pumi people, next to the area where Mosuo people live, separated only by Lugu Lake, worship "Hanhui." However, the neighboring Yi people at the Xiaoliang Mountain adhere to the hierarchical clan blood relationship marriage system; their wedding ceremonies would include the ritual of "Sprinkling Water to Welcome Bride and Groom".