Although they are now officially included under the Tibetan nationality, the Menia formerly belonged to the Chrame group who are commonly called Xifan (Western Barbarians) by the Chinese. Other tribes or subgroups of the Chrame include the Manyak and Hor.
From the Menia's language it appears that they can trace their ancestry to the Qiang people who roamed northwest China in former times. Over the course of many centuries the various tribes became dispersed across the vast geographical area of Sichuan and surrounding provinces. Some groups have been completely assimilated by the Tibetans or by the Chinese. Others, including the Menia, still retain their original language but have ceased to be culturally different from the surrounding peoples.
When, in the 1920s, a Western explorer visited the region inhabited by the Menia, he wrote, "We pitched camp on the banks of the Muli River, 8,000 feet above the sea, and here we made our first acquaintance with Muli villagers, especially the women, who barter grass and barley for the horses of caravans. Their dress consisted of dark-gray woolen skirts with fringes, and leather jackets. Their wealth of hair, a good deal of it false, was decorated with garlands of gilded Szechwan [Sichuan] rupees, a coin common in this region."
The Menia were once controlled by the Chrame king, who was also the head lama of the Muli Monastery. Tibetan Buddhism still pervades every aspect of Menia society.
There has never been a known Christian among the Menia. This is the tragic result of never having heard the gospel throughout their long history. Although they may show some interest in Christ, Buddhists do not believe in a God or a creator and do not view sin as an act of the will, but rather an external influence. These beliefs have created additional barriers to the gospel's advance.
Without the guidance of Christ, these people are like sheep without a shepherd. They need the good shepherd in their families and communities.
Pray for the authority of Christ to bind hindering spiritual forces to lead them from darkness to light.
Pray for signs and wonders to happen among them and for great breakthroughs with a rapid multiplication of disciples and house churches.
Pray for bold workers who are driven by the love of the Holy Spirit to go to them.
Pray for an unstoppable movement to Christ among them.
Scripture Prayers for the Menia in China.
Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Menia |
People Name in Country | Menia |
Pronunciation | Mee-nya |
Alternate Names | |
Population this Country | 1,600 |
Population all Countries | 1,600 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 1 |
People ID | 18576 |
ROP3 Code | 114195 |
Country | China | ||
Region | Asia, Northeast | ||
Continent | Asia | ||
10/40 Window | Yes | ||
National Bible Society | Website | ||
Persecution Rank | 16 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||
Location in Country | Although it is difficult to estimate the population size of the Menia, there are believed to be more than 1,200 speakers of the Menia language living in southern Sichuan Province. Few outsiders have ever ventured into the area in and around Muli County. Still today, access is difficult and foreigners are not allowed to enter the region. When Joseph Rock launched an expedition from Lijiang in northern Yunnan Province in 1925, he offered a glimpse of the geographic wonders encountered along the way: "The mountains are pierced by the mighty Yangtze, which has cut a trench 13,000 feet deep through a wall of limestone rock covered with eternal snow.… The whole region is a vast conglomeration of peaks and mighty gorges, with very little level ground." Source: Operation China, 2000 |
Country | China |
Region | Asia, Northeast |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 16 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Location in Country | Although it is difficult to estimate the population size of the Menia, there are believed to be more than 1,200 speakers of the Menia language living in southern Sichuan Province. Few outsiders have ever ventured into the area in and around Muli County. Still today, access is difficult and foreigners are not allowed to enter the region. When Joseph Rock launched an expedition from Lijiang in northern Yunnan Province in 1925, he offered a glimpse of the geographic wonders encountered along the way: "The mountains are pierced by the mighty Yangtze, which has cut a trench 13,000 feet deep through a wall of limestone rock covered with eternal snow.… The whole region is a vast conglomeration of peaks and mighty gorges, with very little level ground.". Source: Operation China, 2000 |
Primary Religion: | Buddhism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent |
---|---|
Buddhism |
95.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
5.00 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
Primary Language | Ersu (1,600 speakers) |
Language Code | ers Ethnologue Listing |
Language Written | Unknown |
Total Languages | 1 |
Primary Language | Ersu (1,600 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 © 2023 Operation China, Asia Harvest All rights reserved. Used with permission |
Map Source | Joshua Project / Global Mapping International |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |