Shui in China

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

Introduction / History

The Shui are one of China's 55 official minorities. Their name, which means "water" in Chinese, reflects their history. They were originally part of the Luo-yue tribe who lived along China's southeastern coast. Centuries later they were forced to migrate inland to their present mountainous location. Today the Shui still have more than ten different words for "fish."

The Shui are proud of their history, which dates back as far as 200 BC in Chinese records. The Shui have traditionally enjoyed good relationships with the Chinese. A Shui man, Teng Enming, was a founding member of the Chinese Communist Party.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Shui women wear a white headdress for three years after the death of a relative. After the three-year period they can wear black again. Most Shui village leaders are able to read the 500 to 600-year-old ancient Shui script. The book contains a Shui code of ethics and behavior. Some leaders are teaching the script to young Shui boys. The Shui live in villages that are arranged according to family clans.


What Are Their Beliefs?

All Shui worship their ancestors. This is considered their main religion. It keeps them in bondage to the past and prevents them from receiving Christ, because to do so would be considered an insult to their ancestors.

Several French Catholic missionaries first went to the Shui in 1884. By the early 1900s some 30 Catholic churches and 5,000 Shui Christians existed. However, all the believers were put to death or fell away during the anti-Christian movement of 1906. In recent years, missionaries have traveled to the villages that formerly contained Catholic churches and have not found a trace of Christianity remaining—neither old buildings nor any knowledge of the gospel among the people. Today there are reported to be only "a small number of Christians" among the Shui. Another source adds, "a handful of Catholic believers remain." A breakthrough came in late 1997 and 1998 when approximately 100 Shui people came to Christ and were being discipled by Chinese believers.


What Are Their Needs?

The Shui people need to accept the warm embrace of the only Savior so they can enjoy spiritually meaningful lives.


Prayer Points

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.

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 Shui in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Shui
People Name in Country Shui
Pronunciation Shway
Alternate Names Shuijia; Sui; Sui Li; Suijia; Suipo
Population this Country 329,000
Population all Countries 329,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 7
PeopleID3 18682
ROP3 Code 114309
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 430,000 members of the Shui minority live in southern Guizhou Province, primarily in Duyun, Sandu, and Libo counties. In addition, small numbers of Shui are located in northern Guangxi. The descendants of eight Shui families who migrated out of China about 50 years ago live in northern Vietnam.   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 430,000 members of the Shui minority live in southern Guizhou Province, primarily in Duyun, Sandu, and Libo counties. In addition, small numbers of Shui are located in northern Guangxi. The descendants of eight Shui families who migrated out of China about 50 years ago live in northern Vietnam..   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Map of Shui in China Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.25 %)
0.28 %
Ethnic Religions
92.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
7.72 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Sui (329,000 speakers)
Language Code swi   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Shui
Dialect Code 4855   Global Recordings Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Sui (329,000 speakers)
Language Code swi   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Shui
Dialect Code 4855   Global Recordings Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Sui

Primary Language:  Sui

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (2003)
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 Sui Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
Photo Source Paul Noll 
Map Source People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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