Tai Nua in China


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

Although the Tai Nua are part of the official Dai nationality in China, they speak their own distinct language. They should not be confused with the identically named but different Tai Nua of Laos.

Linguists have pointed out that Tai Nua is "a name given to at least two quite different southwestern branch groups." The Tai Nua profiled here are members of the Southwestern branch of the Tai language family, while the Tai Mao language spoken throughout Dehong Prefecture is similar to the Shan language of Myanmar. The confusion of names is caused partly by "the Chinese tendency to group languages together into nationalities, exemplified by the Dai nationality, which includes all the Southwestern Tai languages of China."

The Tai Nua are historically part of the great Tai peoples of Asia, which dispersed during the past millennia to now inhabit parts of China, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, India, and, of course, Thailand. "Based on evidence from Neolithic finds unearthed by archeologists during recent decades it is now believed that before migrating southwards, the forefathers of the present day Thais lived in most parts of Guangxi and Sichuan, plus parts of Guizhou and Yunnan."


What Are Their Lives Like?

After a Tai Nua wedding ceremony the bridegroom goes to live with his bride's family. Traditionally he must take with him gifts of tea, rice, meat, bananas, four eggs, and two salted fish for his new in-laws. Upon arrival, the village elder takes the packets of tea and rice out to the road and calls on the spirits of heaven and earth to witness the marriage. He then ties a white thread seven times around the wrist of the bride and once around the wrist of the groom to indicate their unbreakable commitment to each other.


Buddhists typically have little awareness of their own sin and their need for forgiveness. The Tai Nua do not realize their need for a savior.
What Are Their Beliefs?

Although they are nominally Theravada Buddhists, the Tai Nua have many aspects of animism and polytheism mixed into their beliefs. The very first Tai god was Shalou, the god of hunting. They offered sacrifices to Shalou before a hunt to avert danger and to ensure success.

There are no known Christians among the Tai Nua and very little outreach is presently focused on bringing the gospel to them. Little improvement in their spiritual condition has taken place since the 1920s when one missionary lamented, "There is not a missionary working south of [Kunming] to Mohei, I am here alone, and my little candle is the only light. Yet in these mountains are thousands of tribesmen who have never heard of the gospel."


What Are Their Needs?

The Tai Nua people need to put their trust and identity in the hands of the loving God of Creation who sent his son to make it possible for them to enter the Kingdom of God.


Prayer Points

Pray for the spiritual blindness and bondage to the evil one to be removed so they can understand and respond to Christ.

Pray for the Lord to provide for their physical and spiritual needs as a testimony of his power and love.

Pray the Tai Nua people will have a spiritual hunger that will open their hearts to the King of kings.

Pray for an unstoppable movement to Christ among them.


Scripture Prayers for the Tai Nua, Chinese Shan in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Tai Nua, Chinese Shan
People Name in Country Tai Nua, Chinese Shan
Natural Name Tai Nua
Pronunciation tie NOO-ah
Alternate Names Chinese Shan; Dai; Dai Kong; Dai Le; Dai Loe; Dai Mao; Dai Mo; Dai Na; Dai Nue; Dai Nuea; Dehong; Dungan; Eastern Shan; Hakka; Han Chinese; Han-Paiyi; Kang; Kong; Loe; Mandarin; Mao Shan; Maw; Northern Shan; Nua; Paiyi; Shan Tayok; Tai Che; Tai Khe; Tai Kong; Tai Le; Tai Loe; Tai Neua; Tai Nua; Tai Nue; Tai Nuea; Tai Yai; Yunnanese
Population this Country 489,000
Population all Countries 717,000
Total Countries 4
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 10
People ID 15193
ROP3 Code 109720
ROP25 Code 307855
ROP25 Name Tai Nua
Country China
Region Asia, Northeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 19  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country There is a great deal of confusion regarding the names used to classify the various Dai/Tai groups in China. Many publications call the Tai in the Dehong Prefecture Tai Nua, a name meaning "northern Tai." The Tai in Dehong are profiled in Operation China under the name Tai Mao, according to the classification of linguist David Bradley. "The Tai Nua or 'Northern Tai' live in southwestern Yunnan along river valleys; they number about 100,000."   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Country China
Region Asia, Northeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 19  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country There is a great deal of confusion regarding the names used to classify the various Dai/Tai groups in China. Many publications call the Tai in the Dehong Prefecture Tai Nua, a name meaning "northern Tai." The Tai in Dehong are profiled in Operation China under the name Tai Mao, according to the classification of linguist David Bradley. "The Tai Nua or 'Northern Tai' live in southwestern Yunnan along river valleys; they number about 100,000.".   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Map of Tai Nua, Chinese Shan in China Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Buddhism
Religion Subdivision: Theravada
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
51.81 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.17 %)
0.19 %
Ethnic Religions
46.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
2.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Tai Nua (489,000 speakers)
Language Code tdd   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Tai Nua (489,000 speakers)
Language Code tdd   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Tai Nua

Primary Language:  Tai Nua

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1931-1948)
Bible-New Testament No
Bible-Complete No
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source Arian Zwegers - Wikimedia  Creative Commons 
Map Source People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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