Indonesian in China


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

In 1952, 20,000 overseas Chinese refugees moved to Hainan Island after the communist government issued an invitation for overseas Chinese to return to the "motherland." The refugees from Malaysia were ethnic Han Chinese and have assimilated back to China easily. Today they are counted as part of the Han Chinese nationality by the government. Many of the Indonesians, however, were not of Chinese descent at all. Today they call themselves Oran Toraja, which means "people from Toraja." They have remained an ethnolinguistically distinct people group. One observer noted, "Not only do the villages speak Indonesian, but also their lifestyle remains Indonesian."
An additional 1,500 Indonesians came to China in the early 1960s after the failed communist coup in Indonesia. The Chinese authorities resettled one group on Hainan Island and the other in Fujian Province. They encountered great hardship upon arrival in China. "Many of the new arrivals broke down in tears.... They were not farmers; they had to learn from the beginning how to plant crops and reap harvests."


What Are Their Lives Like?

Ethnically, many of the Indonesians in China were from one of the tribal groups in the Toraja Mountains. They have largely forsaken their traditional clothing and customs, although some families remember their heritage on special occasions. During the Cultural Revolution, "although life was hard, they were still able to maintain a personal and ethnic identity."


What Are Their Beliefs?

Although Islam is the state religion of Indonesia, the immigrants to China are not Muslims. Most came from the heavily Christianized Sulawesi Islands.
Close to half of the Indonesians in China profess faith in Christ. The remainder are nonreligious. On Hainan Island the Indonesians meet in their own churches, both official and underground fellowships. During the 1960s Christian worship was banned and many of the Indonesian believers were persecuted. The Indonesian church on Hainan Island is strong and meets nearly every day of the week. Since the mid-1980s Christian leaders from Sulawesi have come to Hainan to encourage and train the Indonesian believers.


What Are Their Needs?

Indonesians need to become Christ’s hands and feet among other groups that are still resistant to the gospel.


Prayer Points

Pray for a powerful move of the Holy Spirit among the Indonesian people of China.
Pray for them to become Christ’s ambassadors to the peoples around them.


Scripture Prayers for the Indonesian in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Indonesian
People Name in Country Indonesian
Pronunciation in-do-NEE-zhun
Alternate Names Javanese Indonesian; Madurese Indonesian; Malay Indonesian; Minangkabau Indonesian; Oran Toraja; Sundanese Indonesian
Population this Country 11,000
Population all Countries 10,219,000
Total Countries 18
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 5
Unreached No
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 6  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed
PeopleID3 18503
ROP3 Code 114115
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 More than 8,500 Indonesians are located in four provinces of southern China. About 4,000 live on Hainan Island, with nearly the same number located in Fujian Province. A few hundred Indonesians live in southern Guangxi, and one small group has recently settled south of Kunming in Yunnan Province. The main body of Indonesians were placed in the Xinglong Overseas Chinese Farm on Hainan Island, an area good for coffee, pepper, coconut, and rubber production.   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 More than 8,500 Indonesians are located in four provinces of southern China. About 4,000 live on Hainan Island, with nearly the same number located in Fujian Province. A few hundred Indonesians live in southern Guangxi, and one small group has recently settled south of Kunming in Yunnan Province. The main body of Indonesians were placed in the Xinglong Overseas Chinese Farm on Hainan Island, an area good for coffee, pepper, coconut, and rubber production..   Source:  Operation China, 2000

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Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Christianity
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 45.45 %)
51.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
1.00 %
Non-Religious
48.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Indonesian (11,000 speakers)
Language Code ind   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Indonesian (11,000 speakers)
Language Code ind   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Indonesian

Primary Language:  Indonesian

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1955-1968)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1968-2000)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1963-2021)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
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
Audio Recordings DAVAR Partners recording, complete Bible DAVAR Partners International
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories One Story
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Indonesian Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rivka video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rock International: King of Glory Rock International
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video The Hope Video Mars Hill Media
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Four Spiritual Laws Cru
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Voice of the Martyrs resources Voice of the Martyrs
General Walk with the Prophets and meet the Messiah Al Massira
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
General Zume Resources Zume Project
General Zume Training Zume Project
Mobile App Android Bible app direct APK download SIL
Mobile App Android Bible app: Al Injil (Indonesian and Arabic) General / Other
Mobile App Android Bible app: Alkitab TB & Deuterokanonika LAI General / Other
Mobile App Android Bible app: Alkitab TB LAI - Lite General / Other
Mobile App Android Bible app: Alkitab Yang Terbuka General / Other
Mobile App Android Bible app: Cerita Alkitab Terbuka General / Other
Mobile App Android Bible app: CIA - Cerita INJIL Audio General / Other
Mobile App Android Bible app: Indonesian YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Kitab TZI General / Other
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Alkitab AYT Bergambar General / Other
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: BaKat (Bahan/Bahasa Katalog) General / Other
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Kidung General / Other
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Komik Alkitab Bergambar General / Other
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Komik Alkitab Suci General / Other
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Komik Yesus Hidup General / Other
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Renungan e-SH /Santapan Harian General / Other
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Renungan Oswald Chambers General / Other
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Tafsiran Matthew Henry General / Other
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Yesus -- Hidup-Nya General / Other
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Alkitab Karaoke General / Other
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Alkitab SABDA General / Other
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Indonesian YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Book Reading App: Cerita Alkitab Terbuka General / Other
Mobile App iOS Book Reading App: Renungan e-SH/Santapan Harian General / Other
Mobile App iOS Book Reading App: Tafsiran Matthew Henry General / Other
Text / Printed Matter Bible: Comic Book Version Super Bible / Comic Bible Society
Text / Printed Matter Cartoon Gospel tract General / Other
Text / Printed Matter Jesus Messiah comic book General / Other
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Indonesian Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter The Ancient Path Live Global
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Cru
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source Endho - Pixabay 
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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