Baha Buyang in China

The Baha Buyang have only been reported in China
Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Buyang are officially part of the Zhuang, China's largest official minority. As one anthropologist notes, "After 1953 the Buyang were incorporated into the Zhuang". Buyang, however, is a distinct language and is not intelligible with other forms of Zhuang. The Buyang are known by a number of different names. One visitor in the early 1920s stated, "We slept in a village of Tai people, which the Chinese call Punong, or Punung, or Pulung. We heard them called all three of these pretty names".

This small tribe speaks a language exhibiting influences from many different groups, making it difficult to trace their historical roots. It is known that the Buyang are recent arrivals to their present location. One writer notes, "Due to historical reasons, the Bunong [Buyang] have moved to different places and had different titles but still kept the same characteristics (the same language, customs and traditions)".


What Are Their Lives Like?

The Buyang practice wet-rice agriculture on terraced hillsides. Other crops include sugarcane, tung oil, and tea. Chinese geckos are also caught and used in traditional Chinese medicine to help people regain vitality.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Buyang worship their ancestors, carefully observing rituals that have been designed to ensure that their forefathers are taken care of in the next life. Food is placed in front of altars along with pictures of deceased family members, so the spirits of the dead will not go hungry. The Buyang also burn large amounts of paper money, believing the practice will break any hold of poverty that may have ensnared the dead.

Ancestor worship has trapped the Buyang in spiritual bondage, keeping them from accepting any social or religious change. Few Buyang have any awareness of the Gospel or the Person of Jesus Christ. All Buyang homes have ancestral altars mounted on the wall of the main room. In the mid-1990s a large revival took place among the Hmong Daw farther south as a result of Gospel radio broadcasts in the Miao language, but few Buyang have any contact with the Hmong Daw.


What Are Their Needs?

The Baha Buyang people need to submit to Jesus Christ so they can experience the abundant life he offers them in John 10:10.


Prayer Points

Pray for bold workers who are driven by the love of the Holy Spirit to go to them.

Pray for an unstoppable movement to Christ among them.

Pray for the authority of Christ to bind hindering spiritual forces to lead them from darkness to light.

Pray for signs and wonders to happen among them and for great breakthroughs with a rapid multiplication of disciples and house churches.


Scripture Prayers for the Buyang, Baha in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Buyang, Baha
People Name in Country Buyang, Baha
Natural Name Baha Buyang
Pronunciation Bah-ha Boo-yung
Alternate Names Bunong; Burong; Pulung; Punong; Punung
Population this Country 700
Population all Countries 700
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 11052
ROP3 Code 101816
Country China
Region Asia, Northeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 19  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Approximately 3,500 Buyang are spread across a number of different locations in the Wenshan Zhuang-Miao Autonomous Prefecture in the extreme southeast part of Yunnan. The majority live in Funing County, with 300 in Langjia village, 200 in Maguan, 200 in Ecun, 180 in Lagan, 50 near Nongna, 20 at Damen, and 30 to 40 in Jinglong Township. There are also "scattered settlements" in Guangnan County farther to the northwest.   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Country China
Region Asia, Northeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 19  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Approximately 3,500 Buyang are spread across a number of different locations in the Wenshan Zhuang-Miao Autonomous Prefecture in the extreme southeast part of Yunnan. The majority live in Funing County, with 300 in Langjia village, 200 in Maguan, 200 in Ecun, 180 in Lagan, 50 near Nongna, 20 at Damen, and 30 to 40 in Jinglong Township. There are also "scattered settlements" in Guangnan County farther to the northwest..   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
98.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
2.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Buyang, Baha (700 speakers)
Language Code yha   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Unknown
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Buyang, Baha (700 speakers)
Language Code yha   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Buyang, Baha

Primary Language:  Buyang, Baha

Bible Translation Status:  Translation Needed

Resource Type Resource Name Source
None reported  
Photo Source Copyrighted © 2024  Operation China, Asia Harvest  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Map Source Joshua Project / Global Mapping International  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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