Guopu in China

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

Introduction / History

The Guopu are one of 120 distinct groups of the Yi nationality in China. There are three ethnic names of Yi groups in northwest Guizhou Province: Guopu, Guozou, and Guoluo. Although these names all sound similar and may refer to a common ethnic origin, today each name represents a distinct group.
According to some sources, "It was the great Emperor Kang-He who gave the [rulers of Weining] the hereditary government of a number of Lolo [Yi] tribes in 1713. The Emperor Yang Cheng, wishing to consolidate the Chinese suzerainty which until that time had been purely nominal, took up arms against the Lolo in 1727, and crushed them. A great number of them abandoned their country, flying towards the west, crossing the Blue [Yangtze] River, and taking refuge in the wild ranges of Chonolevo and Shama, then covered with forests, to which they set fire."


What Are Their Lives Like?

In Weining County, "since the slopes are gentle, strip cultivation rather than terracing is the norm, although the strips do tend to follow the natural contours of the land. In season, the ripening crops produce surprisingly vivid slashes of color, the predominant green tinged with contrasting highlights depending on the crop - pink and red for sweet buckwheat, white for bitter buckwheat, for example. The potato plant is visible everywhere, potatoes forming a dietary staple for the peoples of the Wumeng Mountains. Maize is also grown, but the climate and altitude are unfavorable for rice."


What Are Their Beliefs?

The traditional religion of the Guopu includes worship of the heavens, earth, mountains, rivers, trees, grass, bamboo, rocks, wells and, above all, the spirits of the sun and the moon.
Some Guopu professed Christ as their Lord. The China Inland Mission and the Methodists both had missionaries in Weining County. In 1907 they established the first church in the area. The missionaries soon saw the need to separate their Yi and Miao work. Between 1957 and 1966 the former China Inland Mission churches experienced severe persecution. Because of the government crackdowns against religion, the Yi churches including the Guopu went underground, meeting in secret. In 1988, fifteen Yi churches were reopened.


What Are Their Needs?

The Guopu church needs to produce lasting fruit that will bless all of China.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to do a new work among Guopu men, drawing them to the King of kings.
Pray for the Lord to guide and protect Guopu families.
Pray for the Lord to use Guopu Christians as salt and light to those around them.


Scripture Prayers for the Guopu in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Guopu
People Name in Country Guopu
Pronunciation Guoh-poo
Alternate Names Dry Yi; Gan Yi; Guo; Guoluo; Kuo-lo
Population this Country 112,000
Population all Countries 112,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 5
Unreached No
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 6  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed
PeopleID3 18470
ROP3 Code 114074
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 Approximately 16,900 Guopu (also called Guoluo) people live in Weining County in the northwestern part of Guizhou Province and in Yiliang County in the northeastern section of Yunnan Province. They inhabit villages amid the imposing Wumeng Mountains which lie on a northeast-southwest axis along the border between Guizhou and Yunnan. The range averages 2,500 meters (8,200 ft.) above sea level, while its major peak, Xiliang, is at 2,800 meters (9,180 ft.). People living close to Weining Township harvest fish from Lake Caohai. Caohai means "grass sea" in Chinese and is so named because of the abundance of reeds along its shores.   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 Approximately 16,900 Guopu (also called Guoluo) people live in Weining County in the northwestern part of Guizhou Province and in Yiliang County in the northeastern section of Yunnan Province. They inhabit villages amid the imposing Wumeng Mountains which lie on a northeast-southwest axis along the border between Guizhou and Yunnan. The range averages 2,500 meters (8,200 ft.) above sea level, while its major peak, Xiliang, is at 2,800 meters (9,180 ft.). People living close to Weining Township harvest fish from Lake Caohai. Caohai means "grass sea" in Chinese and is so named because of the abundance of reeds along its shores..   Source:  Operation China, 2000

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Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
20.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 18.00 %)
20.00 %
Ethnic Religions
57.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
3.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Nasu, Wusa (112,000 speakers)
Language Code yig   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Nasu, Wusa (112,000 speakers)
Language Code yig   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Nasu, Wusa

Primary Language:  Nasu, Wusa

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes
Bible-New Testament Yes  (2018)
Bible-Complete No
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
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National Bible Societies
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Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Photo Source Copyrighted © 2024  Operation China, Asia Harvest  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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