Liaoning Province
GEOGRAPHY
Area 151,000 sq.km. Southernmost of the three provinces of Manchuria, bordering on the Yellow Sea and North Korea. Heavily industrialized – much of it state-controlled.
Population 42,863,000; 284 people/sq.km.
Capital Shenyang (Mukden) 5.68m. Other major cities: Dalian 3.15m; Anshan 1.94m; Fushun 1.7m; Taian 1.57m; Wafangdian 1.34m; Dandong 1.2m; Benxi 1.17m; Haicheng 1.16m; Fuxian 1.14m.
PEOPLES
Han Chinese 90%, speaking Putonghua.
Manchu 5.7%.
Korean 2.4%.
Mongolian 1.2%.
Hui 0.7%. Also Xibe 180,500.
RELIGION
Muslim 0.7%. Christian 5.1%: House churches 3%, all Catholics 1.1%, TSPM 1%.
CHALLENGES FOR PRAYER
1) The Church has grown significantly from a strong Presbyterian pre-revolution base. Over 20% of Christians in the province are Korean. A special effort began in 1997 to suppress Protestant and Catholic 'illegal' activities and compel the numerous house churches to register. Foreigners, especially Koreans, were noted to be especially active in church planting. Pray for wisdom, fortitude and evangelistic fervour for the believers.
2) The Manchu conquered and ruled China from 1644 to 1911, but in the process lost their culture. Of the 12.6m Manchu, only 200,000 retain a distinctly Manchu culture and their language is almost extinct. The majority live in the three provinces of former Manchuria but are also scattered across China. Most follow the range of Chinese secular and religious views, but some are still shamanist. Response to the gospel is very limited and known Christians are only 10,000 in number – less than 0.1% of the Manchu. Pray for this large unreached people.
3) The Xibe are an Altaic-Tungus people that have been largely assimilated into Chinese culture, but only a handful are known to be Christian.
Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
GEOGRAPHY
Area 66,400 sq.km. Arid steppe with a fertile strip along the Yellow River in north China.
Population 5,410,000; 81 people/sq.km.
Capital Yinchuan 300,000.
PEOPLES
Han Chinese 66.5%, speaking Putonghua.
Hui 33.4%.
Manchu 0.1%.
RELIGION
Muslim 34%. Christian 3.9%: all Catholics 1.9%, house churches 1.8%, TSPM 0.2%.
CHALLENGES FOR PRAYER
1) The Hui number 10.6m, but are found in every province of China. Only a minority live in their Autonomous Region. They are descendants of Muslim traders, Mongolians and Chinese. They strongly retain their culture and religion, but speak Putonghua. They are the largest Muslim ethnic group in China. After 30 years of mission outreach before 1951, very few had become Christians. There is renewed interest in reaching them. There are only about 200 scattered believers among them. Pray that in every city across China, local Christians might have a burden to reach them and the willingness to adapt their approach to be effective.
2) There is a large-scale turning to Christianity in the north along the Yellow River where there are many Han immigrants. The Catholic Church has seen the greatest growth. Pray for adequate leadership and good literature for these Christians – both in short supply.
Qinghai Province
GEOGRAPHY
Area 721,000 sq.km. A huge, high alpine desert province in West China on the Tibetan Plateau.
Population 5,098,000; 7 people/sq.km.
Capital Xining 937,000.
PEOPLES
Han Chinese 59.9%, speaking Putonghua.
Sino-Tibetan 19.4%. 8 peoples, largest: Amdo Tibetan(2) 710,000; Golog 128,000; Khampa Tibetan 118,000; Sogwo Arig 37,000.
Hui 13.7%.
Mongolian 4.8%. 4 peoples: Tu 200,000; Oirat 91,000, Mongour 40,000; Bonan 6,000.
Turkic-Altaic 2.2%. 2 peoples: Salar 113,000; Kazakh 3,000.
RELIGION
Muslim 16%. Christian 2.3%: House churches 1.4%, TSPM 0.6%, all Catholics 0.3%.
CHALLENGES FOR PRAYER
1) This desolate region is dotted with labour camps. Many thousands of prisoners have endured great hardship there – including many believers. Pray for all prisoners of conscience that their faith in God might grow and bless those around them.
2) In the 1940s there were only a few hundred Christians, mainly in Xining, but in the last 20 years growth has been significant in the few urban areas. There are only five registered TSPM churches and 40 meeting points in the province. The believers are poor but fervent in outreach – pray that this ministry might be fruitful.
3) The unreached:
a) The Tibetans are strong in their Lamaistic Buddhism. Their living conditions are harsh, and they depend on their large herds of yak. Unprecedented heavy snows in 1996 decimated these herds and made many destitute. Christian help for them gave opportunities for witness. There are now a handful of isolated believers. Pray for open hearts, bound demonic powers and for many people to be free in Jesus.
b) The Tu and Mongour are Lamaistic Buddhists with no known believers. They are isolated from existing outreach.
c) The Muslim Hui in Xining are numerous and there are a handful of Christians, but few witness to them.
d) The Muslim Salar and Bonan remain completely unreached.
Shaanxi Province
GEOGRAPHY
Area 195,800 sq.km. in north-central China.
Population 36,828,000; 188 people/sq.km.
Capital Xian 3,352,000. Once the capital of China in the T'ang dynasty. Famous for the buried terracotta army.
PEOPLES
Han Chinese 99.6%, speaking Putonghua.
Hui 0.4%.
RELIGION
Muslim 0.4%. Christian 4.5%: House churches 2.7%, TSPM 1.0%, all Catholics 0.8%.
CHALLENGES FOR PRAYER
1) Shaanxi was the birthplace of Christianity in China. The Nestorians built their first church in Xian in 635. Terrible persecution wiped out this witness. Pray that the 21st Century may be one of triumph for the Church.
2) The Church has grown dramatically from 30,000 Christians in 1949 to officially 350,000 and unofficially maybe nearly 3m today. Pray for the spiritual unity and health of Shaanxi Christians and that they may retain the fire of the Holy Spirit into the next generation.
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