Northern Dong in China

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

Introduction / History

Although the Northern and Southern Dong speak different languages, they have been combined to form the official Dong nationality in China. The two groups are also culturally different. The Northern Dong have been assimilated into Chinese culture much more than their southern counterparts. The Dong call themselves Kam.

The Dong were not known by that name until this century. In the past they were part of the ancient Yue peoples, which dominated southern China. The Dong have many ancient myths and legends about the origin of the world.


What Are Their Lives Like?

One of the visually striking aspects of a Dong community is the Drum Tower. For centuries, the Dong have used the tower as the rallying point of the community: a place where the village gathers for an emergency, celebrates a wedding, and where young Dong couples sing love songs to each other. One source states that there are more than 30 distinct Dong dialect groups in China, and that marriage is rare between members of the various groups.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Dong believe in many gods. They regard certain mountains, trees, stones, and other nonhuman objects as sacred. This is reflected in the Dong custom of planting a fir tree for each newborn baby. Some Dong in remote areas practice a form of black magic called Tu. The Dong worship the kitchen god during the Spring and Fall festivals. A growing number of Dong youth are nonreligious.

Although they are considered relatively open to the gospel, the Dong remain one of the most neglected minority groups in China. Today there are an estimated 600 Northern Dong Christians, a meager number considering their large population of more than one million. Most Dong have never heard the gospel. Both Protestant and Catholic missionaries were active among the Dong prior to the introduction of communism in 1949. Several churches were built, but the gospel never took a firm hold among the Dong. Efforts are underway to produce a Roman script for them. Many Northern Dong could now be reached by Chinese-language media.


What Are Their Needs?

Without the guidance of Christ, these people will be spiritually lost in this life and the life to come. They need someone to go to them as Christ-bearers.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to intervene in their families, calling people to his side.

Pray for loving workers.

Pray for their hearts to be drawn to the Lord of lords.

Pray for a church planting movement to thrive in their communities.


Scripture Prayers for the Dong, Northern in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

The Dong

Source:  Asia Harvest      Download

People Name General Dong, Northern
People Name in Country Dong, Northern
Natural Name Northern Dong
Pronunciation Dong
Alternate Names Dong; Gam; Kam; Northern Tung; Tong; Tongkia; Tung; Tungchia; Tungjen
Population this Country 589,000
Population all Countries 589,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 12
People ID 18442
ROP3 Code 114042
ROP25 Code 302168
ROP25 Name Dong (China)
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 More than one million speakers of the Northern Dong language live in the area of southern China where the provinces of Guizhou and Hunan meet. In addition, a small number live far to the north in Enshi County in southwestern Hubei. In 1990 the Northern Dong amounted to 36% of the total Dong population of 2.54 million.   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 More than one million speakers of the Northern Dong language live in the area of southern China where the provinces of Guizhou and Hunan meet. In addition, a small number live far to the north in Enshi County in southwestern Hubei. In 1990 the Northern Dong amounted to 36% of the total Dong population of 2.54 million..   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.30 %)
0.40 %
Ethnic Religions
91.60 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
8.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Dong, Northern
Language Code doc   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Unknown
Total Languages 2
Secondary Languages
Chinese, Mandarin
Primary Language Dong, Northern
Language Code doc   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 2
Secondary Languages
  Chinese, Mandarin
People Groups Speaking Dong, Northern

Primary Language:  Dong, Northern

Bible Translation Status:  Translation Needed

Resource Type Resource Name Source
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
Photo Source Axel Quack - Flickr  Creative Commons 
Map Source Joshua Project / Global Mapping Intl  
Video Source Asia Harvest
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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