Qiangyi October 12

Location: Nine thousand Qiangyi link between people reside in the Xiangme, today’s Tibeto- Ziqianglang, Huangcaoshao, Burman-speaking Chuchang, and Chalangshao tribes in southern communities within the Midian and the Qiang District; and in the Daying and tribes who roamed Xinxingzuo communities of Hedian China’s northwest District. These places are all within up to 4,000 years in China’s ago. One researcher Province. An additional 1,000 Qiangyi has stated, “The are believed to live in parts of Qiangyi are southern Binchuan County as well. confirmed descendants of the Identity: The Qiangyi, who are ancient Qiang officially classified as part of the Yi nation which nationality, are one of the most migrated during the interesting people groups in southern ‘stone-ages’ from China. As Jamin Pelkey points out, Gansu to Sichuan “Many Tibeto-Burman peoples are — some of them said to have descended from the moving into Yunnan. ancient Qiang tribes, but this is the After crossing the only known case in Yunnan in which Yangtze River into Paul Hattaway one of the people groups actually Yunnan, the Qiang separated into Religion: Polytheism (the worship of retains the name Qiang as part of three distinct tribes, and slowly many gods) could accurately be their autonym. The suffix yi in the bifurcated into 11 other tribes which, described as the main religion among autonym is… probably a traditional in turn, became over 150 tribes. It the Qiangyi. There are also elements Han name for the people meaning seems that, finally, distinctions of ancestor worship and Daoism ‘the Qiang foreigners’ and may have between tribes became so great and present, which were probably adopted been picked up by this people after the multiplication and racial mixing so from their Bai and Chinese neighbors. having had centuries of contact with complex that historians lost count and the Han Chinese.”1 the ‘tribes’ became known as Christianity: Despite their long separate ‘peoples’.”3 history, the Qiangyi are not known to Language: Although the Qiangyi have been impacted by Christianity. language is classified as a Western Yi Customs: Little is known about the Today, there are no known Christians variety, “at least one Chinese culture of the Qiangyi today and, among them. Xiangyun and Binchuan anthropologist says they may just as outside the area where they live, few counties, where the Qiangyi are found, well be classified as Southern people have heard of them. Although have very little Christian presence Qiang.”2 Most or all of the Qiangyi are the Qiangyi used to wear their own except for a few small government- adequately bilingual in Mandarin traditional dress, it is believed they sanctioned churches affiliated with Chinese. now wear standard Han clothing the TSPM. These churches are mostly except during festivals and special comprised of elderly Han and Bai History: The history of the Qiangyi is occasions. believers. fascinating in that they provide a living

Overview of the Language: Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Burmese-Lolo, Status of Evangelization • SICHUAN Qiangyi Lolo, Northern Lolo, Yi, 92% Western Yi •Binchuan YUNNAN Countries: China •Dali Pronunciation: “Chee-ung-Yee” Dialects: 0 • •Chuxiong Other Names: Qiang Yi Religion: Polytheism, Animism, •Wanding Ancestor Worship, Daoism •Yunxian Population Source: • 10,000 (1999 J. Pelkey); Christians: None known 8% Scale 0% 0 KM 160 Out of a total Yi population of Scripture: None 6,572,173 (1990 census) Jesus film: None A B C Population in China: Location: Yunnan: Gospel Recordings: None A = Have never heard the gospel 10,000 (1999) Xiangyun (9,000) and Binchuan (1,000) counties Christian Broadcasting: None B = Were evangelized but did not 10,250 (2000) become Christians 12,850 (2010) Status: ROPAL code: None C = Are adherents to any form of Location: Yunnan Officially included under Yi Christianity Religion: Polytheism Christians: None Known

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