Baheng in China


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Baheng have been officially included as part of the Bunu group within the Yao nationality in China. In Vietnam the authorities have granted the Pa Then status as one of their 53 official minority groups.

The Baheng in some locations believe a frog created the heavens and the earth. After a time of living in perfect contentment, man destroyed the harmony of his peaceful existence by killing the frog. "The frog's dying curse was to divide the world into a realm for humans and a realm for spirits. Before that time, mankind did not know sickness, and when a person would die, he would rise again from the dead on the 13th day. After the curse, this no longer happened."


What Are Their Lives Like?

The Lipeng Baheng live in communities according to family clans. Marriage is forbidden within each clan. A Baheng man must not have sexual relations with any woman of his clan. This taboo is strictly enforced. Baheng children are told horror stories of what will happen if they break this taboo. This prohibition stands for people of the same family name, even if they live in different provinces and have never previously met. After the birth of a child, the placenta is placed under the floorboards of the house. At the end of the person's life, he must make a journey back to the spiritual village of his ancestors. The dead person's soul must stop to pick up the placenta, which is believed to help the spirits identify who the person is.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Baheng believe a person has 12 souls. "When a body is placed in a coffin, it is sprinkled with 12 measures of grilled rice, and 12 sandstone bowls are put in along with the rice." Each Baheng home contains an ancestral altar. The Baheng believe the spirits of their ancestors are fed by placing rice and meat out on the table for them. The male head of the household calls on the spirits of his ancestors to come and share in the feast and to protect his family from sickness and injury.

This tribe has rarely been focused on with the gospel and are an unevangelized people group. Their intricate rituals of ancestor worship create barriers that prevent them from embracing the gospel, yet they are still considered by some to be "ripe unto harvest." Most simply have never had the chance to hear.


What Are Their Needs?

The Lipeng Baheng 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 Lipeng Baheng 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 Baheng in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Baheng
People Name in Country Baheng
Pronunciation Ba-heng
Alternate Names Baheng Bunu; Meo Lai; Pa Then; Pa-Hng; Pathen
Population this Country 48,000
Population all Countries 56,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 18891
ROP3 Code 114839
ROP25 Code 300702
ROP25 Name Baheng
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 More than 30,000 Baheng live in four counties (Sanjiang, Longsheng, Rong'an, and Lingui) in northeast Guangxi; and in Rongjiang and Congjiang counties in adjacent areas of Guizhou Province. Some 3,700 Baheng also live in northern Vietnam, where they are known as the Pa Then.   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 More than 30,000 Baheng live in four counties (Sanjiang, Longsheng, Rong'an, and Lingui) in northeast Guangxi; and in Rongjiang and Congjiang counties in adjacent areas of Guizhou Province. Some 3,700 Baheng also live in northern Vietnam, where they are known as the Pa Then..   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
97.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
3.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Pa-Hng (48,000 speakers)
Language Code pha   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Unknown
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Pa-Hng (48,000 speakers)
Language Code pha   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Pa-Hng

Primary Language:  Pa-Hng

Bible Translation Status:  Unspecified

Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
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.