Ersu in China

The Ersu have only been reported in China
Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

Regardless of where the Ersu may have originated, it is known that they have lived in their present location for many centuries. Qiang nomads once ruled western China as far as today's Inner Mongolia. Gradually their kingdoms broke up and they migrated south and west. The present official Qiang nationality in China only represents a fraction of the original Qiang cluster of peoples. Most were assimilated by larger groups long ago.

The Ersu are officially part of the Tibetan nationality, but in the 1980s they asked the government to create a new minority, called the Xifan, and to include them under it. The authorities declined. The linguist Sun Hongkai says, "Ersu speakers at different localities have different autonyms.”


What Are Their Lives Like?

Culturally, the Ersu have been swallowed up by the Tibetans. Almost every aspect of their lives reflects their belief in Tibetan Buddhism.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Ersu believe they will be reincarnated when they die and will come back to the earth as a person in a higher social position if they have lived a virtuous life. They will come back as an animal if they lived a wicked life. This belief results in the Ersu having little motivation to help the afflicted among them, as suffering is considered the consequence of a person's bad karma.

There has never been a known church or Christian among the Ersu. The Border Mission of the Church of Christ in China and the American Baptists worked among the related Jiarong people until 1949, reporting 34 converts in 1934. No outreach, however, was ever undertaken to the Ersu.


What Are Their Needs?

These people will be spiritually lost in this life and the life to come without the

guidance of Christ. They need Christ-bearers in their communities.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord’s influence in their families, calling Ersu people to himself.
Pray for loving, workers obedient to the Holy Spirit.
Pray for Ersu hearts to be drawn to the Lord.
Pray for a thriving church planting movement in their communities.


Scripture Prayers for the Ersu in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Ersu
People Name in Country Ersu
Pronunciation Erh-soo
Alternate Names Buerzi; Douxu; Duoxu; Ersu Yi; Ersubuerzi; Lisu; Lusu; Tosu
Population this Country 44,000
Population all Countries 44,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 18452
ROP3 Code 114052
ROP25 Code 302352
ROP25 Name Ersu
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 A 1983 study listed 20,000 speakers of Ersu living along the lower reaches of Dadu River, in seven different counties of southern Sichuan Province in western China. The main centre of Ersu habitation could be said to be Ganluo County.   Source:  Peoples of the Buddhist World, 2004
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 A 1983 study listed 20,000 speakers of Ersu living along the lower reaches of Dadu River, in seven different counties of southern Sichuan Province in western China. The main centre of Ersu habitation could be said to be Ganluo County..   Source:  Peoples of the Buddhist World, 2004
Map of Ersu in China Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Buddhism
Religion Subdivision: Tibetan
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
98.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
1.00 %
Non-Religious
1.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Ersu (44,000 speakers)
Language Code ers   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Unknown
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Ersu (44,000 speakers)
Language Code ers   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Ersu

Primary Language:  Ersu

Bible Translation Status:  Unspecified

Resource Type Resource Name Source
None reported  
Photo Source Copyrighted © 2024  Operation China, Asia Harvest  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
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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