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Operation China

Operation China

Han Chinese, Xiang April 20

Location: Approximately 35 million held in Tiananmen speakers of — or Square, , to Hunanese — live in .1 The demand political majority are located in reform was Province. Others inhabit 20 counties forcefully broken up of western and parts of by the army on 4 northern and northern June 1989. Fears provinces. that China would revert to the Identity: The Xiang are traditionally excesses of the acknowledged as the most stubborn 1960s and 1970s and proud of all Chinese peoples. proved unfounded, “The people themselves… are the however, and China most clannish and conservative to be continued to open found in the whole empire, and have up and become a succeeded in keeping their province thriving part of the practically free from invasion by world community foreigners and even foreign ideas.”2 throughout the 1990s. Language: Xiang is a distinct in transition. It is exposed to Customs: In 1911 Mandarin from several directions. the Xiang were Hunanese women once possessed described as “the their own writing system. It was taught best haters and Paul Hattaway by women to women and could not be best fighters in China. Long after the Christianity: In 1861 Welsh read by men.3 rest of the empire was open to Griffith John met a Hunan missionary activity, Hunan kept its military mandarin, who “boasted of History: The People’s Republic of gates firmly closed against the the glory and martial courage of the China (1949– ): The Communists foreigner.”4 The Xiang are renowned Hunan men, and said there was no seized control of China in 1949. Initial for their theaters and opera. danger of their ever believing in Jesus euphoria among the people soon or of His religion taking root there.”6 vanished as famine, economic Religion: Recently there has been an The pride of the Xiang has made them mismanagement, and the suppression upsurge in religious interest in Hunan, the most unreached of all Han of all opposition became the norm. as people seek to fill the spiritual void Chinese peoples. Today only 80,000, The darkest period came between in their hearts. “A monastery in or about 0.2%, of the Xiang are 1966 and 1976 when millions of Hunan… has witnessed tens of Christians. The entire Christian innocent people were butchered in the thousands of pilgrims arriving to population of Hunan is numbered at name of progress. After Mao’s death worship the three ‘gods’ of no more than 120,000.7 Because of in 1976 a power struggle ensued. Communist China — Chairman Mao, internal strife, the Hunan church has Deng Xiaoping, who stood alone with Zhou Enlai and Zhu De. This been described as a “disaster area.”8 an agenda of economic reforms, took pilgrimage has set alarm bells ringing power and China gradually reopened in the local government over the to the outside world. A demonstration revival of superstition.”5

Language: Chinese, Xiang Overview of the Status of Evangelization Xiang Chinese (9): , , , , 91% Countries: China , Linxiang, , Pronunciation: “Sheeang” Yungshun, Shaungfeng HUNAN FUJIAN Religion: No Religion, Buddhism, GUANGXI Other Names: GUANGDONG Hunanese, Hunan, Hsiang Daoism, Ancestor Worship, HONG KONG Christianity Scale Population Source: 8% 0 KM 400 30,850,000 (1987 LAC); Christians: 80,000 1% Out of a total Han population of Scripture: None Population in China: 1,042,482,187 (1990 census) A B C 30,850,000 (1987) Jesus film: Available A = Have never heard the gospel 36,064,000 (2000) Location: Hunan; Sichuan; Guangxi; Guangdong Gospel Recordings: None B = Were evangelized but did not 40,752,000 (2010) Christian Broadcasting: None become Christians Location: Hunan, Sichuan, Status: Officially included under C = Are adherents to any form of Guangxi, Guangdong Han Chinese ROPAL code: HSN00 Christianity Religion: No Religion Christians: 80,000

190 HAN CHINESE, XIANG

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