Yizi in China

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

Introduction / History

Despite their similar names, the Yizi are not related to any of the Yi groups in China who are speakers of Tibeto-Burman languages. People know the Yizi as Yiren or "Yi people," which further confuses the matter. In the 1950s, the Yizi applied for recognition as one of China's official minority groups. China rejected them. At the time of the 1982 national census, China still had not classified them and included them in a list of undetermined minorities. After some debate, China placed the Yizi under the Gelao nationality in 1985. The Yizi, who have a separate ethnicity from the Gelao, are not entirely happy with this decision. They view themselves as different from all other groups in China.

Today's population of the Yizi is far lower than it was during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), China considered the Yizi as included in the Yi group, even though they have never claimed to be Yi themselves. Today, most Yizi have assimilated into the various Han and Yi cultures.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Most Yizi now work as sedentary agriculturists, but before the advent of communism in 1949, people renowned and feared them throughout the region as a fierce people. Still today, neighboring peoples despise the Yizi and claim they are all thieves.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Some of the more remote communities of Yizi practice animism, although in most places now only the elderly continue to observe animistic rituals and appease spirits. A common thread that ties the Yizi together is ancestor worship. The Yizi in different locations have the same ancestors. At least three times each year, the Yizi hold a ceremony to honor the spirits of those who have gone before.

Because of a lack of specific information about the Yizi, no one knows if there are any Christians among them. It is possible they do include believers, however, because of the high density of Christians in the Bijie area of Guizhou Province, especially among the Ahmao, Gha-Mu, and the various branches of the Yi nationality.


What Are Their Needs?

Like people everywhere, the Yizi people need to allow the loving Savior to direct their lives. They need his forgiveness for sin.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to intervene in Yizi families, calling many to his side.

Pray for loving, Holy Spirit lead workers to go to the Yizi.

Pray for the Lord to raise up Yizi persons of peace to welcome Christ's ambassadors.

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


Scripture Prayers for the Yizi in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Yizi
People Name in Country Yizi
Pronunciation Yee-zee
Alternate Names Ke; Wo; Yipu; Yiren
Population this Country 2,900
Population all Countries 2,900
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 18729
ROP3 Code 114364
ROP25 Code 309025
ROP25 Name Yizi
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 1982 Chinese publication Minzu Shibie Wenxian Ziliao Huibian listed a population of 1,500 Yizi people living in southern China. Despite their tiny population, the Yizi are distributed in three different provinces. The majority are located in Bijie County of northern Guizhou Province. Smaller numbers live in nearby Zhenxiong County in Yunnan Province and in Gulin County in Sichuan 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 1982 Chinese publication Minzu Shibie Wenxian Ziliao Huibian listed a population of 1,500 Yizi people living in southern China. Despite their tiny population, the Yizi are distributed in three different provinces. The majority are located in Bijie County of northern Guizhou Province. Smaller numbers live in nearby Zhenxiong County in Yunnan Province and in Gulin County in Sichuan Province..   Source:  Operation China, 2000

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Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
95.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
5.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Chinese, Mandarin (2,900 speakers)
Language Code cmn   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Chinese, Mandarin (2,900 speakers)
Language Code cmn   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Chinese, Mandarin

Primary Language:  Chinese, Mandarin

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1864-1986)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1857-1981)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1874-2018)
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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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