Bendi Li in China

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

Introduction / History

The ancestors of the Li are believed to have migrated to Hainan Island from the Mainland approximately 3,000 years ago. The state of Li is mentioned at the beginning of the tenth book of the Chinese Book of History. The state was conquered by the Chief of the West in AD 1123. Historically the Chinese have viewed Hainan as a backward, undesirable place. When Li Deyu - a Chinese prime minister during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) - was exiled to Hainan, he described his new home as "the gate to hell."

Although the various Li groups on Hainan Island acknowledge a common historical kinship, "they are divided into several groups, distinguishable by their different dialects [and costumes]." The name Li means "black" or "dark brown"; it can also mean "numerous."


What Are Their Lives Like?

Until recently the Bendi Li relied on hunting and fishing for their survival. One visitor to Hainan Island noted, "The natives do not use fishhooks, but dam the numerous interior rivers and pour in root poison which stupefies the fish, making them easy to spear."


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Bendi Li are mostly polytheists and animists, worshiping a multiplicity of gods and spirits. Before the antireligion purges of the Cultural Revolution, most Li villages had their own shaman who acted as a medium between the community and the spirit world.

There is no known Christian presence among the Bendi Li. Of the more than one million Li on Hainan Island, only 1,000 believe in Jesus Christ. The majority have never heard the gospel before. Historically, most evangelism conducted on Hainan Island has been aimed at the Hainanese Chinese.


What Are Their Needs?

They need to know that God’s ways should be embraced and obeyed. They need to see living Christianity in action.


Prayer Points

Pray that the people will find their way to Jesus and happily accept him.
Pray for more missionaries to be interested in helping build up the Bendi Li community both spiritually and economically.
Pray for the gospel to spread from family to family among the Bendi Li people.


Scripture Prayers for the Li, Bendi in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Li, Bendi
People Name in Country Li, Bendi
Natural Name Bendi Li
Pronunciation Ben-dee Lee
Alternate Names Bendi
Population this Country 80,000
Population all Countries 80,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 2
PeopleID3 18549
ROP3 Code 114166
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 A 1987 linguistic survey listed 44,000 speakers of the Bendi Li language. The Bendi language further divides into the Baisha dialect (36,000 speakers) and the Yuanmen dialect (8,000 speakers). The Bendi Li are one of five distinct Li tribes located on southern China's tropical Hainan Island. The Bendi inhabit the central part of the island, including the eastern half of Baisha County and northward to Yinggeling.   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 A 1987 linguistic survey listed 44,000 speakers of the Bendi Li language. The Bendi language further divides into the Baisha dialect (36,000 speakers) and the Yuanmen dialect (8,000 speakers). The Bendi Li are one of five distinct Li tribes located on southern China's tropical Hainan Island. The Bendi inhabit the central part of the island, including the eastern half of Baisha County and northward to Yinggeling..   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.03 %)
0.10 %
Ethnic Religions
96.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
3.90 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Hlai (80,000 speakers)
Language Code lic   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Bendi
Dialect Code 10650   Global Recordings Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Hlai (80,000 speakers)
Language Code lic   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Bendi
Dialect Code 10650   Global Recordings Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Hlai

Primary Language:  Hlai

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (2015)
Bible-New Testament No
Bible-Complete No
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Hlai Jesus Film Project
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
Photo Source Anonymous 
Map Source Joshua Project / Global Mapping International  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


Joshua Project logo    Terms of Use   Privacy Policy   Contact Us   Copyright © 2024