Sani in China

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

Introduction / History

Although they have been combined with numerous other people groups to form the large Yi nationality in China, the Sani possess their own unique language, customs, and ethnic identity.

The Sani are thought to have originated near Dali. Shortly after the Tang Dynasty (618-907) they left the region, traveled through Chuxiong, and settled among the rock formations of Shilin.


What Are Their Lives Like?

A single Sani girl's turban contains all the colors of the rainbow. This results from a Sani legend. A long time ago a beautiful Sani girl named Musidama was rescued from a tiger by a handsome hunter named Stiasai, and the two fell in love. The local chief lusted after her, however, and desired to marry her first. One day Stiasai was attacked by a wild boar and died. Musidama's heart was broken. At his funeral, she leaped into the flames before the chief's men could stop her. Only two small pieces of her clothing were torn off. "Soon two colorful clouds rose from the flames and then converged together. The sky cleared and a beautiful rainbow appeared. The Sani call it Saimusi-mudama to remember the lovers."


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Sani are polytheists. They believe the earth, sky, water, fire, mountains, stones, etc., have their own spirits. They also worship their ancestors.

Père Paul Vial of the Paris Foreign Missionary Society commenced work among the Sani in 1887. In the early 1900s he reported the Sani to be a haven of Catholicism with 7,360 converts and Sani priests ministering in 30 villages. Vial was a colorful figure, whose battles with Chinese officials led to attempted murder in 1894. Today there are Catholic believers in 22 of the 124 Sani villages in Shilin County. The 3,000 Sani Catholics in Shilin worship in seven main churches. In addition, a small number of Catholics are found among the Sani in Honghe Prefecture. Although there are only a relative handful of Protestants among the Sani, the Sani Catholics represent a great resource and hope for the salvation of many other Yi peoples in the area. Their persistence and faithfulness in the face of opposition have been a powerful witness.


What Are Their Needs?

The Sani must come to the Lord in order to receive true and everlasting rest.


Prayer Points

Pray for the power of Christ to bind dark spiritual forces that prevent them from experiencing His presence.
Pray for them to see and believe the miracles of Jesus Christ and that this would spark a spiritual hunger in their hearts.
Pray for bold and loving workers who are driven by the love of the Holy Spirit to share Christ’s love with the Sani.
Pray for the Sani to experience a mass movement to Christ soon.


Scripture Prayers for the Sani in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Sani
People Name in Country Sani
Pronunciation Sah-nee
Alternate Names Gni; Gni-p'a; Ming; Ni; Nipo; San Yi; San Yi Puo; Shani
Population this Country 138,000
Population all Countries 138,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 3
PeopleID3 18678
ROP3 Code 114304
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 105,000 Sani live in the central and eastern parts of Yunnan Province. The majority live in Shilin (formerly Lunan) County, especially around the famous Stone Forest. The Stone Forest, about 120 kilometers (75 mi.) southeast of Kunming, is a massive collection of limestone forms that stand up to 30 meters (98 ft.) high. Sani legend says the gods created the Stone Forest in order to help young lovers, who can find privacy among the towering pillars - which cover an area of 400 hectares (990 acres). In addition to 54,134 living in Shilin County, the Sani are located in nearby Mile, Yiliang, Qiubei, and Luxi counties.   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 105,000 Sani live in the central and eastern parts of Yunnan Province. The majority live in Shilin (formerly Lunan) County, especially around the famous Stone Forest. The Stone Forest, about 120 kilometers (75 mi.) southeast of Kunming, is a massive collection of limestone forms that stand up to 30 meters (98 ft.) high. Sani legend says the gods created the Stone Forest in order to help young lovers, who can find privacy among the towering pillars - which cover an area of 400 hectares (990 acres). In addition to 54,134 living in Shilin County, the Sani are located in nearby Mile, Yiliang, Qiubei, and Luxi counties..   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Map of Sani in China Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.15 %)
3.00 %
Ethnic Religions
92.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
5.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Sani (138,000 speakers)
Language Code ysn   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Unknown
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Sani (138,000 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 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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