People group profile · PG007387
The Shui of China
The Shui of China, numbering about 660,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are descended from the ancient Baiyue peoples of southern China, settled along Guizhou's Longjiang and Duliu rivers since the Tang dynasty, preserving their own pictographic Shuishu script and a New Year marked by horse racing and copper-drum dancing.
They are an indigenous people in the Tai people cluster of the Southeast Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Sui.
Fast facts
- Country
- China
- Population
- 660,000
- Affinity group
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
- People cluster
- Tai
- Primary language
- Sui (swi)
- Primary religion
- Ethnoreligion
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Eastern Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Shui are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Shui
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
92% adherents
Primary language
Sui · Tai-Kadai family
100% speak Sui
Gospel resources in Sui
- Bible available, published 2003
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources not available
- Bible stories available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Shui
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.