Yongbei Zhuang in China

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

Introduction / History

During the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC), half a million Han convicts were exiled by Emperor Qin Shihuang to the Lingnan region in southern China (now Guangxi and Guangdong). There they intermingled with the various branches of the Bai Yue nationality. The Zhuang today are thought to be the descendants of the Bai Yue. Historically, the Zhuang were called Tuliao or Sharen.
The Zhuang (Yongnan, Dai, Nong, Yang, Zuojiang) are a collection of related Central Tai language groups which have been combined with the Northern Zhuang - a collection of Northern Tai language groups - to form China's official Zhuang nationality. There are many tribes, clans, and self-designations among the Zhuang. Names such as Debao and Heiyi frequently appear in Chinese linguistic research.
China's Guangxi Province is made up mostly of people from the Zhuang people groups. They live similar lives. Each subgroup, including the Yongbei, is unreached with the gospel. The Yongbei people speak their own dialect.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Their homes are usually built on stilts. A newly married woman stays with her parents until after the birth of the first child. Only then does she go to live with her husband in his village.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Zhuang are careful not to offend the spirit world that surrounds them. They believe in the spirits of the water, forest, mountain, village, etc.


What Are Their Needs?

The first Protestant missionary to the Zhuang was R. H. Graves, a Southern Baptist, who arrived in Guangxi in 1862. In 1895 the Christian & Missionary Alliance commenced work in Guangxi. They established 65 churches over a 50- year period. Most of these churches were attended by Han Chinese, but small numbers of Zhuang also attended. The Zhuang have great linguistic diversity. Little has changed since this 1922 report describing Guangxi: "There are 58 cities, 700 market towns, and over 17,000 villages, all teeming with human lives for whom no effort whatever is being put forth."
Today, the Zhuang peoples are all unreached. Each group, including the Yongbei, have their own dialect. That means each needs a separate church planting effort.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to pave the way for a movement to Christ among every Zhuang people, including the Yongbei.
Pray for spiritual interest among the Yongbei Zhuang people, leading them to seek and find the Lord.
Pray for loving workers.


Scripture Prayers for the Zhuang, Yongbei in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

The Waiting World - The Zhuang

Source:  The Waiting World      Download

People Name General Zhuang, Yongbei
People Name in Country Zhuang, Yongbei
Natural Name Yongbei Zhuang
Pronunciation YONG-bay zhoo-AHNG
Alternate Names
Population this Country 2,175,000
Population all Countries 2,175,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 43
People ID 19801
ROP3 Code 115001
ROP25 Code 309110
ROP25 Name Zhuang
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 The Zhuang are the largest minority group in China. With more than 17 million people, their population is approximately the same as the population of Australia. More than 11 million people speak the various Zhuang languages. The majority are located in the central and western parts of Guangxi in southern China. Others are scattered throughout 15 of the other 29 provinces in China, including one small Zhuang enclave in distant Shaanxi Province.   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 The Zhuang are the largest minority group in China. With more than 17 million people, their population is approximately the same as the population of Australia. More than 11 million people speak the various Zhuang languages. The majority are located in the central and western parts of Guangxi in southern China. Others are scattered throughout 15 of the other 29 provinces in China, including one small Zhuang enclave in distant Shaanxi Province..   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Map of Zhuang, Yongbei in China Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.90 %)
1.20 %
Ethnic Religions
80.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
18.80 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Zhuang, Yongbei (2,175,000 speakers)
Language Code zyb   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Zhuang, Yongbei (2,175,000 speakers)
Language Code zyb   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Zhuang, Yongbei
Photo Source Anonymous 
Map Source People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project.  
Video Source The Waiting World
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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