Ergong March 15 GANSU Location: Chinese scholar Sun Hongkai in History: The great Qiang race was once 1983 listed 35,000 Ergong people living in more populous than today. As they moved the western part of Sichuan Province.1 The into more remote regions along the Tibetan •Garze •Barkam •Wenchuan Ergong inhabit what is now Danba, Daofu, frontier, most Qiang were converted to •Chengdu Litang Luhuo, and Xinlong counties of the Garze Tibetan Buddhism and were gradually TIBET • •Kangding SICHUAN •Ya’an Prefecture in assimilated to •Xiangcheng Scale western Sichuan. Tibetan culture 0 KM 160 They also live in and customs. the Guanyinqiao Today, minority Population in China: 35,000 (1983) District of groups such as 48,800 (2000) Jinchuan County the Ergong are 60,100 (2010) in the Aba an example of Location: Sichuan Prefecture. All of those Qiang Religion: Tibetan Buddhism Christians: None Known these areas were groups who are formerly part of still in the Overview of the Kham Province in transitory Ergong Tibet. The region stage of Countries: China where the Ergong assimilation. Pronunciation: “Erh-gong” live is one of the The Ergong are Other Names: Daofuhua, most remote in culturally Bopa, Hor, Horpa, Horu, Hor-ke, the world. Many Tibetan but Taofu, Pawang, Gesitsa, communities are retain their Bawang Rong-Ke only accessible Qiangic Population Source: 35,000 (1983 Sun Hongkai); by foot. Many of language. Out of a total Tibetan population the people in the of 4,593,330 (1990 census) area, including Customs: The Location: W Sichuan: Danba, Daofu, Luhuo, and Xinlong the Ergong, are customs of the counties in the Garze Prefecture; nomadic or Ergong are And Jinchuan County of Aba seminomadic. similar to Prefecture in NW Sichuan Tibetan Status: Officially included under Tibetan Identity: customs, Language: Sino-Tibetan, Officially the although Tibeto-Burman, Qiangic, Jiarong, Ergong have Mette Krogh massive stone Ergong been included as watchtowers Dialects (3): Danba, Daofu, part of the Tibetan nationality in China, called tianlu prove their affiliation with the Northern Ergong even though they speak their own distinct Qiang people. Harsh Sichuan winters give Religion: Tibetan Buddhism, Shamanism language. The Ergong are also widely known way in May to sunny days when grass and Christians: None known as Hor or Horpa. wildflowers bloom throughout the region. Scripture: None Jesus film: None Language: The Ergong language, called Religion: All Ergong adhere to the Tibetan Gospel Recordings: None Daofuh Hua by the Chinese, is related to Buddhist religion. They consider it a priority 2 Christian Broadcasting: None Jiarong in western Sichuan. It is a member to visit at least one holy Tibetan site during ROPAL code: of the Qiangic branch of Tibeto-Burman. the course of their lifetime. ERO00 (Ergong); HRP00 (Horpa) Ergong, or Horpa, and has been studied by linguists for a surprisingly long time. They Christianity: The Ergong are a completely Status of Evangelization were first described by B. H. Hodgson in untouched people group. Few Christians 3 98% 1874. One scholar notes that the various have heard of the Ergong and fewer still Qiangic languages, including Ergong, “are of have tried to reach them. James O. Fraser, unusual interest, both synchronically and a British missionary who worked among the diachronically. They are characterized by Lisu in the early part of the twentieth initial consonant clusters comparable in century, often exhorted believers in the complexity to those of Written Tibetan.… Western world to intercede on behalf of the 2% 0% Some languages of the group are tonal, lost in China. Fraser said, “Many of us A B C while others are not, providing an ideal cannot reach the mission-fields on our feet, A = Have never heard the gospel terrain for the investigation of the but we can reach them on our knees. Solid, B = Were evangelized but did not 4 become Christians mechanisms of tono-genesis.” The Ergong lasting missionary work is accomplished by C = Are adherents to any form of speak their mother tongue within their own prayer, whether offered in China, India, or Christianity communities but use Chinese or Tibetan the United States.”5 with outsiders. ERGONG 135.