Derung in Myanmar (Burma)


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Identity

The Derung are the fifth smallest of China's 55 official minority groups. Their self-name is Turung which the Chinese have transliterated as Derung. The Derung and Nu claim they were once brothers who were separated and forced to live on different sides of the river.


History

Before 1949 there were 15 patriarchal clans called nile among the Derung. Each nile consisted of several family communes. Each commune possessed its own territory which was marked off by boundaries such as streams and mountain ridges. Each clan was further divided into keeng - villages where people lived in common long houses. The members of each ke-eng regarded themselves as descended from the same ancestor. The Derung gained notoriety for defeating a British military expedition in 1913.


Customs

The Derung are one of the most remote groups in China. There are no roads to their villages, many of which are only accessible by several days' walk over treacherous trails. The Derung wear their hair down to their eyebrows in the front. Until recently, Derung girls tattooed their faces at the onset of puberty with designs according to their respective clans. The dead are buried in hollow logs, except when death is the result of a major disease. Then the corpse is cremated and the ashes disposed of in the river.


Religion

In the past, each Derung clan had its own shaman who directed warfare and healed the sick. Modern health clinics have put the shamans out of business.


Christianity

The first missionary among the Derung was a French Catholic priest in 1907. In 1935 the Morse family came to the Derung area. People from four villages accepted Christ and six churches were built. Through the work of the Morse family, almost the entire Rawang tribe in Myanmar was converted. Today the number of believers among the Derung in China is uncertain. One source states, "Some estimate that there are as many as 5,000 Derung Christians in China (85.97%) while 25% Christian (about 1,450) is estimated by one Western worker close to the situation."


Prayer Points

Scripture Prayers for the Derung in Myanmar (Burma).


Profile Source:   Operation China, Asia Harvest  Copyrighted ©   Used with permission  

People Name General Derung
People Name in Country Derung
Alternate Names Drung; Dulong; Trung; Tulung
Population this Country 300
Population all Countries 15,000
Total Countries 2
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 5
Unreached No
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 6  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed
PeopleID3 15628
ROP3 Code 110266
Country Myanmar (Burma)
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 17  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Kachin state: Pannandin township, Talatu and Khraung villages far north.   Source:  Ethnologue 2020
Country Myanmar (Burma)
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 17  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Kachin state: Pannandin township, Talatu and Khraung villages far north..   Source:  Ethnologue 2020

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Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Christianity
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 29.00 %)
56.00 %
Ethnic Religions
44.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Drung (300 speakers)
Language Code duu   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Nu River
Dialect Code 9417   Global Recordings Listing
Language Written Unknown
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Drung (300 speakers)
Language Code duu   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Nu River
Dialect Code 9417   Global Recordings Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Drung

Primary Language:  Drung

Bible Translation Status:  Unspecified

Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Photo Source Anonymous  Used with permission
Profile Source Operation China, Asia Harvest  Copyrighted ©  Used with permission 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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