Mengwu in China

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

Introduction / History

The Mengwu claim that they originated near today's Kunming City. Many centuries ago they migrated south to their present location. Since then, they have lived alongside the Han Chinese and other ethnic minorities.

Although they possess their own ethnicity, customs, and language, the Mengwu have been officially included under the Yi nationality by the Chinese authorities. The Mengwu also simply call themselves Meng.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The Mengwu observe many interesting ceremonies and festivals. Between the seventh and ninth days of the fourth lunar month they engage in a festival called Dagongjie, which celebrates their victory in an ancient battle. The Mengwu say their ancestors beat their adversaries by using golden bamboo in battle. Both Mengwu men and women wear white shirts. The women "have red and black bands around their wrist cuffs and circular black hats with white and black plaid material on top. In the back the women's headdress flow into long red and silver tassels accompanied by a braid of hair."


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Mengwu are polytheists. They worship the creation rather than the Creator. Every year, on the 14th day of the eighth lunar month, the Mengwu get up in the small hours of the morning to worship the stars. The entire ceremony is presided over by a bimo (shaman) and the whole Mengwu population attends. "A white goat is prepared to be sacrificed by first sprinkling some clean water on its head to see whether or not the animal will shake off the water. If it does, this is regarded as a good omen. The sacrificial site is surrounded by caoguo, jingang pear, mulberry, and pine branches. It is said that the way an experienced bimo thrusts in these branches makes a sort of astrolabe, which denotes the relative positions of the stars being worshipped. The Mengwu burn sticks of incense and the goat is slaughtered. They hold a very similar ceremony to send off the soul of the deceased to be reunited with its ancestors in the afterlife."

There are no known Christians among the Mengwu, though it is possible that there are a handful who believe because of the influence of Han Chinese and Hmong Christians in the area. The Mengwu are unknown to the world of missions. They have never before appeared on any unreached peoples or ethnolinguistic lists of China. Consequently, they have never been focused on for Christian outreach.


What Are Their Needs?

They need to know that a different kind of sacrifice has been made for them.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Mengwu to hear about and understand Christ’s sacrifice.
Pray for signs and wonders to happen among them and for great breakthroughs with a rapid multiplication of disciples and house churches.
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.


Scripture Prayers for the Mengwu in China.


References

Operation China. Used by permission.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Mengwu
People Name in Country Mengwu
Pronunciation Mung-woo
Alternate Names Meng
Population this Country 24,000
Population all Countries 24,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 18575
ROP3 Code 114194
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 total of 18,650 Mengwu people live in the southeastern part of Yunnan Province in southern China. They are found living in valleys and on the mountainsides along the common borders of Xichou, Malipo, Guangnan, and Funing counties. Approximately 8,000 are in Funing, 7,000 in Guangnan, 2,000 in Xichou, and 1,200 in Malipo.   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 total of 18,650 Mengwu people live in the southeastern part of Yunnan Province in southern China. They are found living in valleys and on the mountainsides along the common borders of Xichou, Malipo, Guangnan, and Funing counties. Approximately 8,000 are in Funing, 7,000 in Guangnan, 2,000 in Xichou, and 1,200 in Malipo..   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
95.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
5.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Sani (24,000 speakers)
Language Code ysn   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Unknown
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Sani (24,000 speakers)
Language Code ysn   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Sani

Primary Language:  Sani

Bible Translation Status:  Unspecified

Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
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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