Qixingmin October 13

Location: According to a 400 years. During the Ming adherence to Buddhism. SICHUAN 1982 Chinese ethnographic (1368–1644) and Qing They are a Buddhist enclave

Zhenxiong GUIZHOU survey, 3,000 Qixingmin (1644–1911) dynasties the surrounded by numerous • •Bijie •Weining •Guiyang people live in Shuicheng and Qixingmin were better known animistic and Christian •Lupanshui • Weining counties in western as Bai Erzi. During the Qing communities. Most •Panxian • Guizhou Province, and in Dynasty they lived in mixed Qixingmin use prayer beads • Longlin GUANGXI Qiubei County in Yunnan communities with the Yizi, to help them meditate, while Scale Qiubei • 0 KM 160 Province (where they may be Bouyei, Miao, and a group some men become monks better known as Boren).1 called the Baolu. and join a monastery for Population in : 3,000 (1982) This ethnically diverse area extended periods of time, 4,560 (2000) contains many Yi and Miao Customs: Despite their which is considered a great 5,890 (2010) subgroups in addition to the small numbers, the honor to their families. Location: Guizhou, Yunnan majority Qixingmin have a fierce Religion: Buddhism Christians: None Known population. reputation among their Christianity: The Qixingmin neighbors, who claim that are an unreached people Overview of the Identity: In the 1982 the Qixingmin have hot group with no known Qixingmin census the Qixingmin were tempers, that they are believers, despite the fact not placed under any of the stubborn, and that they fight that many have been Countries: China recognized nationalities but all the time. Visitors to a exposed to the gospel from Pronunciation: “Chee-shing-min” were instead placed in a list Qixingmin home are required Han, Miao, and Yi believers Other Names: Jing Ren, Bai Erzi, Bo, Boren of Undetermined Minorities to leave the house through living in the Weining and Population Source: by the Chinese authorities. a different door than the Shuicheng areas. The ethnic 3,000 (1982 Minzu Shibie In 1985 they were one by which they entered. identity of the Qixingmin is Wenxian Ziliao Huibian); reclassified under the Bai The door is of great integrally linked with Out of a total Bai population of 1,594,827 (1990 census) nationality who live more importance to the Buddhism: to be a Qixingmin Location: NW Guizhou: than 300 miles away in the Qixingmin. Both the doors is to be Buddhist. The cost Shuicheng and Weining counties; Dali Prefecture of west and the entrances to their of going against their culture NE Yunnan: Qiubei County central Yunnan.2 Similarly, villages are protected by and the threat of probable Status: Officially included under the Longjia and Nanjingren regular cleansing expulsion from their community Bai since 1985; Previously included in a list of peoples of Guizhou were ceremonies. if they should become a Undetermined Minorities included under the Bai Christian has proven too great Language: Sino-Tibetan, minority. One source states Religion: One of the main an obstacle for the Qixingmin Tibeto-Burman, Unclassified the identification of the factors that make the to overcome. Most churches in Dialects: 0 Qixingmin ethnicity is a Qixingmin a unique people the area no longer attempt to Religion: Mahayana Buddhism, problematic one, primarily in their area is their strong evangelize them. Animism, Ancestor Worship, Daoism because they are known by Christians: None known three different ethnic Scripture: None names: Qixingmin, Jing Ren, 3 Jesus film: None and Bai Erzi. Gospel Recordings: None Christian Broadcasting: None Language: Although the ROPAL code: None Qixingmin language, which may be called Bo, has never Status of Evangelization been studied in depth, it was mentioned in passing 61% as a newly discovered 39% language in a Chinese linguistic journal.4 Today most Qixingmin are 0% adequately bilingual in A BC Mandarin Chinese, and the use of their mother tongue A = Have never heard the gospel B = Were evangelized but did not is in an endangered state. become Christians C = Are adherents to any form of Christianity History: The Qixingmin have lived in their present location and have been recognized as a distinct ethnic group for at least Paul Hattaway

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