Lolopo

Population: 500,000 Alternate names: Lipo, White Yi, Black Yi Christians: ~1,000 Churches: 15 Bible: No* Gospel Tapes: Yes Jesus film: No* Tracts: No*

The Lolopo live primarily in six counties (Chuxiong county, Nanhua county, Yao’an county, , , and ) of Chuxiong Prefecture, Province. The Lolopo are probably descendants of the ancient Qiang peoples who migrated from Qinghai and Gansu Provinces thousands of years ago. The Lolopo are Yi but they never refer to themselves as “Yi” in their own language. Instead, they call themselves Lolopo meaning “People of the Tiger” or “Dragon People.” There is an ancient respect for the tiger (and the dragon) in Lolopo culture. Today many Lolopo are very shy to tell outsiders the name of their ethnic identity for fear of being scorned because of the derogatory meaning of “Lolo” in Chinese. The Lolopo have never had a written language. But in areas where the Lolopo are concentrated, even young children still speak their native tongue. Lolopo villages are located midway up mountainsides. Some stone and dirt roads reach into Lolopo regions but almost all Lolopo villages must be accessed by foot. This part of Yunnan has fairly temperate weather--rarely snowing in the winter, and rarely hot in the summer. Rivers and streams are plentiful here, as is firewood which is used for fuel. The vast majority of Lolopo are subsistence farmers and herders raising pigs, chickens, and goats. They also grow corn, potatoes, and buckwheat. Their fields are terraced; although, much strip-cropping has begun in recent years on mountain slopes. The Lolopo have three or four varieties of costumes which vary from place to place. The ladies’ costumes include black wrapped head-dresses, and aprons embroidered with colorful flower designs. They may also wear embroidered shoes and belts. The men’s costumes include a blue or black embroidered cloth-button jacket. Men and women both

The Yi Peoples of - Isolated from the World, Isolated from the Gospel Http://Yi.peoples.org wear long goat hair vests. Another characteristic of the Lolopo is that both men and women smoke long-pipes. The women carry them stuck in their aprons when they go out into the fields to work. The Lolopo celebrate many festivals including the Torch Festival (the most well known festival celebrated by the Yi peoples), the Dragon Worship Festival, the Tiger Dance Festival, the Cattle Festival, the Bathing Festival, the Unity Festival, the Third Month Fair, and the Plum Raising Festival. At these festivals, the Lolopo sing rhythmic folk tunes while dancing the “Left Foot Dance.” Several men will accompany these circle dances with four- stringed guitars. Many Lolopo youth meet their future mates at these festivals while their parents and grandparents exchange news and tell stories from days long past. Although not as visible as in the past, the Lolopo retain beliefs that manifest themselves in animism and ancestor worship. One cluster of villages still actively worships the tiger through a ceremony that invites the tiger ancestor into the village and homes and beseeches it for protection and prosperity. Most villages contain a sacred tree and mountain altar. The sacred tree is usually large and ancient. It is worshipped because of the plentiful supply of water that is believed to be beneath it. The dragon, in Lolopo thought, is believed to have power over the rainfall and drought. Therefore, to worship the sacred tree because of its water supply is to worship the dragon itself. Virtually all spirit-median witch doctors have died out leaving the common Lolopo with a sense of responsibility to ward off evil from his or her family and village. In the last few years the work among the Lolopo has advanced through the blessing of God. There may be as many as 1,000 Lolopo believers now meeting in more than a dozen small house churches. Praise God! However, 95 out of 100 Lolopo have never heard the name of Jesus the first time. “What kind of a thing is that?” is a typical Lolopo response to the question, “Have you ever heard of Jesus Christ?”

Prayer Reaches All Yi  Pray for God to break open and prepare the soil of Lolopo hearts for the Gospel.  Pray for the Lolopo to be released from fear of spirits and suspicion of change and outsiders.  Pray for the Gospel to be widely scattered among the Lolopo and sink deeply into their hearts and minds.  Pray for the Lolopo to thirst for and receive Living Water from the Almighty God. “Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4.13-14

The Yi Peoples of China - Isolated from the World, Isolated from the Gospel Http://Yi.peoples.org  If Lolopo village leaders and heads of families turn to Jesus whole households and villages may follow. Pray that this will happen.  Pray for 100 committed laborers (Lev. 26.8) willing to endure hardship and difficulties to see the Lolopo reached.  Pray for multiplying churches to grow and spread among the Lolopo impacting other Central Yi peoples for Christ.

* The Lolopo speak their own language. However, as many as 40% also understand Mandarin Chinese. Perhaps 25% are semi-literate in Chinese as well. Chinese Bibles, Jesus films, audio tapes, tracts, and discipleship materials can be utilized to reach the more educated.

The Yi Peoples of China - Isolated from the World, Isolated from the Gospel Http://Yi.peoples.org