Manmet July 16

Location: More than 1,300 up in southern . It animism and Theravada • members of the Manmet was also at this time that Buddhism, which is the YUNNAN •Mojiang people group live in five the great Mon-Khmer race prevalent religion in the villages in the mountains began to split into smaller, Xishuangbanna region. •Lancang •Pu’er VIET- northeast of Jinghong (City more distinct political units. Around Jinghong there are NAM •Jinghong of Dawn) — the capital of The Manmet are one group numerous temples, which • Xishuangbanna Prefecture in today who owe their serve as the focal point of Scale Mengla 0KM80 southwest Yunnan Province. existence to this tumultuous each community’s social life Population in : Although the Manmet are period of history. as well as a place for 900 (1984) close to China’s borders practising religious rituals. 1,310 (2000) with the nations of Laos and Customs: The Manmet are 1,700 (2010) Location: Yunnan Myanmar, no communities experts at tilling their Christianity: Christian Religion: Buddhism of Manmet are known to sharply angled fields which churches, hospitals, and Christians: None Known exist outside of China. seem to cling to the sides schools were established by of the mountains. Every Presbyterian missionaries in Overview of the Identity: The Manmet were available patch of land near Jinghong during the 1930s counted separately in the their villages is used for and 1940s. “The people Manmet 1982 Chinese census and food production. They grow readily received the Gospel, Countries: China then combined into a large rice, corn, sugarcane, but for many, it was very Pronunciation: “Mahn-met” group of Undetermined bananas, and various kinds difficult to renounce sin; for Other Names: Manmi, Manmit, Man Met Minorities. In the 1950s the of vegetables. They also them their faith was Population Source: Manmet applied to the raise chickens, water nominal.… During the 900 (1984 J.-O. Svantesson) central government in a bid buffaloes, and pigs. Most Cultural Revolution Location: SW Yunnan: The to be recognized as a Manmet women stay at [1966–1976]… many Manmet live in five communities distinct minority group, but home, but some earn leaders of the church were in the mountainous areas near 1 Jinghong County in Xishuangbanna their application was income by selling produce at killed.” Although Dai Prefecture. rejected. Today the Manmet the Jinghong market. In missionaries were active in Status: Counted in census as an are looked down upon by recent years many Manmet the Jinghong area, the shy Undetermined Minority both the neighboring Han youth have moved to the Manmet escaped their Language: Austro-Asiatic, Chinese and the Tai Lu cities in search of education attention. Few Manmet Mon-Khmer, Northern Mon-Khmer, Palaungic, Western Palaungic, people. and work. people today have any Angkuic awareness of the gospel or Dialects: 0 Language: The Manmet Religion: Most Manmet the name of Jesus Christ. Religion: speak a distinct tonal adhere to a mixture of Theravada Buddhism, Animism language within the Angkuic Christians: None known branch of the Mon-Khmer Scripture: None linguistic family. Some Jesus film: None Manmet men who have Gospel Recordings: None spent time as monks in a Christian Broadcasting: None Buddhist temple are able to ROPAL code: MML00 read the Tai Lu script.

Status of Evangelization History: In the twelfth 91% century AD, a number of different tribes united with the Tai to establish the Jinglong Golden Hall 9% Kingdom. The Nanzhao 0% Kingdom, centered at Dali in A B C central Yunnan, was overthrown by the advancing A = Have never heard the gospel B = Were evangelized but did not Mongol hordes of Kublai become Christians Khan in AD 1253. C = Are adherents to any form of Christianity Thousands of minority people fled from the savage Mongols. Those who survived settled into the dozens of ethnic communities which sprang Paul Hattaway

322 MANMET