Fuma March 19 ➤ language resembling lands. They are not Zhuang. In the areas located secluded nor do they bind near the boundaries their feet. They are allowed between Chinese and Li to meet and to talk with the culture, however, a great men, and there is no mock deal of fusion has taken modesty amongst them.”2 place. Because of centuries of interaction between the GUANGDONG Han and Li, people groups •Lingao •Haikou have been formed who are HAINAN ISLAND ethnically and historically •Dan Xian Changcheng •Baisha •Qionghai Han Chinese but speak a Li •Dongfang language. The Fuma fall into •Tongshi • Wanning this category. In other Scale •Lingshui 0KM80 Sanya locations the fusion has • occurred the other way Population in China: around. Ethnic Li people can 800 (1994) 860 (2000) be found throughout Hainan 970 (2010) who can speak only the Location: Hainan Island Chinese language. Religion: No Religion Christians: 20 Customs: The Fuma have few customs that distinguish Overview of the Fuma them as a people group. Countries: China They do not wear any Pronunciation: “Foo-ma” traditional dress and are Other Names: Fu Ma some of the poorest people Population Source: Paul Hattaway in all of China. For 800 (1994 AMO); Location: The Fuma are Language: The Fuma generations they have Out of a total Han population of struggled to survive in their 1,042,482,187 (1990 census) located in just one village language is part of the Li Location: W Hainan Island: north of the town of branch of the Kadai remote location. North of Changcheng Changcheng in the western linguistic family. It is closest Status: Officially included part of Hainan Island. to the Ha Li language which Religion: Most Fuma do not under Han Chinese Changcheng is about 50 is spoken by the majority of practice an organized Language: Daic, Kadai, Li-Laqua kilometers (31 mi.) north of the Li on Hainan. Fuma is religion, although many have Dialects: 0 the city of Dongfang described as a “Li language a deep reverence and Religion: No Religion, Animism, (formerly known as Basuo). isolate.”1 Many Fuma also respect for their ancestors. Ancestor Worship, Christianity The Fuma live on the very use Ha Li as a common Christians: 20 top of a mountain in the trade language in the area. Christianity: In the mid- Scripture: None area. As a result of Some Fuma men are 1990s a Hong Kong-based Jesus film: None isolation, they have an bilingual in Chinese, mission discovered the Gospel Recordings: None independent mind-set. although most women and Fuma people and Christian Broadcasting: None children are only able to commenced evangelistic ROPAL code: None Identity: The Fuma have speak their own language. work among them. They been officially counted as found that the Fuma were Status of Evangelization part of the Han Chinese History: Hainan Island has sensitive people, willing to 75% nationality, even though they witnessed wave after wave embrace God’s truth. speak their own language of immigrants from the Several families immediately and hold to their own Chinese Mainland over the became Christians. The identity. The Fuma are past 2,000 years. Most Fuma fit this 1920s 22% considered by some to be a settled in the northern part description of China’s tribal 3% subgroup of the Cun, but of the island, forcing the people: “The children of the A B C locals say the Fuma are a original inhabitants of the hills are much more A = Have never heard the gospel distinct people group. Cun island, the Li, southward responsive than the sons of B = Were evangelized but did not means “village” and is a and westward. Today most become Christians the Han. They are not so C = Are adherents to any form of generic term applied to of northern Hainan is proud, not so reserved, not Christianity Chinese people living in inhabited by Han Chinese so phlegmatic. Their women western Hainan who speak and Lingao — members of a and girls are free as are languages related to Li. mixed race who speak a women and girls of Western FUMA 139.