Southern Bai in China

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

Introduction / History

The Bai partly established the powerful, far-reaching Nanzhao Kingdom which was centered south of Dali. The kingdom grew so strong that they were able to defeat the Tang armies in the mid-700s. The kingdom flourished for 400 years until it collapsed in the tenth century and was replaced by the Kingdom of Dali. Dali, in turn, lasted until AD 1252 when it was overrun and destroyed by the all-conquering Mongol armies.

The Bai are one of the most heavily Sinicized of China's 55 official minorities. Although the Chinese acknowledge two separate branches of Bai — the Lemo and Nama — the Bai scarcely qualify as an ethnic minority. "During the 1940s… the Bai people denied their non-Chinese origin and would show offense if regarded as a minority." Various experts have commented, "The Bai like to be called Chinese." "The Bai nationality as an ethnic label was unknown to the Bai themselves until late 1958," and were "not quite a minority, but not quite Chinese either."


What Are Their Lives Like?

During the 30 centuries the Bai have inhabited Dali, they have gradually been assimilated to Chinese culture. Dali has always been famous for its prolific supply of marble, which gave the people their name (Bai means "white" in Chinese). Some of the marble used in the great Taj Mahal of India was obtained in Dali and transported over the Himalayas. A survey conducted in 1987 showed Dali Prefecture, mainly due to inbreeding, had 150,000 mentally and physically disabled inhabitants, including dwarfs.


Most Bai have yet to receive an intelligible gospel witness in their language.
What Are Their Beliefs?

The Bai are followers of Mahayana Buddhism, unlike other Buddhist groups in Yunnan such as the Tai Lu, Tai Mao, Wa, De 'ang, and Bulang who are Theravada Buddhists.

George Clarke of the China Inland Mission was the first missionary to the Bai, arriving in 1881. Recent estimates of Bai Christians include figures of 20,000, 30,000, and 50,000. Most of the Bai believers live in rural areas in the mountains and in Fugong County to the west. Most Bai, however, have yet to receive an intelligible gospel witness. The words of John Kuhn 50 years ago remain true today, "No wide-spread work of evangelization will ever be done among them until the message is taken to them in the Minchia [Bai] tongue."


What Are Their Needs?

The Southern Bai people need to submit to Jesus Christ so they can experience the abundant life he offers them in John 10:10.


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 that the Southern Bai 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 Bai, Southern in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyright, Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

The Bai

Source:  Asia Harvest      Download

People Name General Bai, Southern
People Name in Country Bai, Southern
Natural Name Southern Bai
Pronunciation bye
Alternate Names Baihuo; Baini; Baizi; Dali; Labbu; Leme; Minchia; Minkia; Nama; Pai; Whites
Population this Country 671,000
Population all Countries 671,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
Pioneer Workers Needed 13
People ID 10573
ROP3 Code 116833
ROP25 Code 300706
ROP25 Name Bai
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 1.5 million Bai were counted in the 1990 Chinese census. Yunnan was devastated by the plague, which began in Dali and lasted from 1812 to 1903. The population of Yunnan was reduced from eight million to three million, and the population of the Bai was severely cut. The Bai live primarily in the Dali Prefecture in central Yunnan. Dali has been continuously inhabited for 3,000 years. More than 120,000 Bai are located in Guizhou Province. Smaller numbers of Bai also live in Sichuan and Hunan provinces.   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 1.5 million Bai were counted in the 1990 Chinese census. Yunnan was devastated by the plague, which began in Dali and lasted from 1812 to 1903. The population of Yunnan was reduced from eight million to three million, and the population of the Bai was severely cut. The Bai live primarily in the Dali Prefecture in central Yunnan. Dali has been continuously inhabited for 3,000 years. More than 120,000 Bai are located in Guizhou Province. Smaller numbers of Bai also live in Sichuan and Hunan provinces..   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Map of Bai, Southern in China Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Buddhism
Religion Subdivision: Mahayana
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
72.67 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.13 %)
0.13 %
Ethnic Religions
10.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
17.20 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Bai, Southern (671,000 speakers)
Language Code bfs   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Bai, Southern (671,000 speakers)
Language Code bfs   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Bai, Southern

Primary Language:  Bai, Southern

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes
Bible-New Testament No
Bible-Complete No
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
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
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Bai, Southern Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
Photo Source Luca Casartelli - Flickr  Creative Commons 
Map Source People Group location: Operation China. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project.  
Video Source Asia Harvest
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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