Yiche in China

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

Introduction / History

The Yiche belong to the Hani nationality in China.

The world knows little about the origins of the Yiche people because they have never possessed a written script. The Yiche hand down legends orally from generation to generation. The Yiche say they were once part of a tribe of 7,000 families, living "on a vast fertile plain away in the east where the sun rises."


What Are Their Lives Like?

Yiche women wear shorts which is unique among all the peoples of China. They also wear conical hats, similar to the Jino people, and short-sleeved blue blouses held together by five-colored girdles. "They layer clothes one on top of each other, numbering from six to more than a dozen…. The layers indicate a family's financial standing. Women wear black shorts with pleats at the legs."

The Yiche build two story high houses which have tiled roofs. The upper floor serves as a storehouse and the lower floor as the living quarters. Every year in the fifth lunar month, the Yiche celebrate the Kuzhazha Festival. "According to traditional custom, every family must light pine torches after sunset. Burning torches in hand, they walk around the house to perform a 'mopping up' and then follow a forked chestnut rod to the top of the road outside the hamlet and place the torches beside the chestnut rod. This drives evil away from the house, ensuring the coming year is filled with peace and happiness."


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Yiche practice polytheism. "The Yiche worship many gods in temples in their villages. The Yiche associate these gods with the earth, water, and fire, as well as famous ancestors. Brothers of the same family commonly worship their dead parents at the eldest brother's house." On the lunar New Year's Eve, Yiche children hear stories about their ancestors and learn their family genealogies.

Some parts of Honghe Prefecture experienced a mass people movement to Christ in the 1940s in response to missionary efforts. During the Cultural Revolution, the government greatly persecuted the church. Many fledgling believers fell away, but others "conducted Sunday services in cattle stables or on mountain peaks." Today, Kado or Biyo represent the largest number of Christians and the Yiche represent a small number.


What Are Their Needs?

Like people everywhere, the Yiche people need to allow the loving Savior to direct their lives. They need his forgiveness for sin.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to intervene in Yiche families, calling people to his side.

Pray for loving, Holy Spirit led workers to go to the Yiche.

Pray for the Lord to send dreams and visions to Yiche elders, opening their communities to the saving work of Christ.

Pray for a church planting movement to thrive in their communities.


Scripture Prayers for the Yiche in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Yiche
People Name in Country Yiche
Pronunciation Yee-cher
Alternate Names Yeche
Population this Country 25,000
Population all Countries 25,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 18728
ROP3 Code 114363
ROP25 Code 309012
ROP25 Name Yiche
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 19,000 members of the Yiche tribe inhabit isolated villages in the Ailao Mountains. They are located in parts of Chegu, Landi, and Dayangjie townships. Honghe Prefecture is divided by two large rivers: the Honghe (Red) River which flows south into Vietnam and the Nanpanjiang River which is the upper section of the Pearl River. Banana, pineapple, and pomegranate are grown, while sugarcane, peanuts, and tobacco are important cash crops.   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 19,000 members of the Yiche tribe inhabit isolated villages in the Ailao Mountains. They are located in parts of Chegu, Landi, and Dayangjie townships. Honghe Prefecture is divided by two large rivers: the Honghe (Red) River which flows south into Vietnam and the Nanpanjiang River which is the upper section of the Pearl River. Banana, pineapple, and pomegranate are grown, while sugarcane, peanuts, and tobacco are important cash crops..   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.51 %)
0.70 %
Ethnic Religions
94.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
5.30 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Hani (25,000 speakers)
Language Code hni   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Hani (25,000 speakers)
Language Code hni   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Hani

Primary Language:  Hani

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (2016)
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 Hani Jesus Film Project
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
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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