By l990, large areas of China were undergoing significant economic development. The most surprising changes took place in southern China. The prosperity in this area has been broadly based. Unfortunately, however, the Zhuang and the neighboring groups are being left out of China's modernization and industrialization programs.

What are their lives like?
The Yung-Chuun are mostly plains dwellers who practice wet rice farming. Where sufficient bottom land is not available, they grow rice and other crops on terraced hill sides.

Among the Yung-Chuun, the family is considered the most important social unit. Each village is grouped by male family members. A newly married woman stays with her mother until the birth of her first child, after which she will go and live with her husband. Society is both patrilocal (couples live near the groom's relatives) and patrilineal (descent is traced through the males). Boys' names are associated with their fathers' names, but girls' names are not.

The Yung-Chuun are well known for their sincere hospitality. When a guest enters a home, he is offered wine and strong tea. If he declines the drinks, the family will be highly offended; if he drinks them, the host will generously serve him with the finest he has to offer.

The Yung-Chuun celebrate several major festivals each year, the most important of which is the New Year festival. This seven day event is celebrated at harvest time. At noon on New Year's Day, an announcer throws three balls of blackened rice behind him to bid farewell to the old year. He then greets the new year by tossing three balls of white rice in front of him. Next, he pushes the ropes of a special swing and all of the people, regardless of sex or age, begin swinging. (They believe that this will ward off disaster and ensure a prosperous year.) That evening, the villagers stand around a bonfire eating, drinking, singing, and dancing. At midnight, the announcer cuts down the frame of the swing to signify the beginning of a new work year. During such times of celebration, the Yung-Chuun wear attractive, hand-woven costumes made of blue or black cotton fabric. The men wear distinctive jackets and turbans, while the women wear collarless blouses and special caps.

What are their beliefs?
Traditionally, the religious practices of the Yung-Chuun combined elements of animism (belief that non-human objects have spirits), polytheism (belief in many gods), and ancestor worship (praying to deceased relatives for guidance or protection). Trees in the "holy hills" were believed to be their guardian spirits. Today, most still adhere to similar beliefs. They are very superstitious and view certain events, such as the birth of twins or handicapped children, as unlucky. These children are killed, their parents banished, and their homes and possessions burned. They believe in the existence of many ruling spirits, such as spirits that rule over heaven and earth, spirits that protect their villages, and evil spirits that bring diseases.

What are their needs?
Although China's government is making some strides towards modernizing the country, the Yung-Chuun are being left out of the industrialization programs. They are in need of current techniques to improve their agricultural pursuits and opportunities to educate their people. Spiritually, they are also very needy. Since China's government strictly forbids Christianity, it is difficult to maintain missionary work among the Yung-Chuun. Prayer is the key to seeing them reached with the Gospel.

Prayer Points

• Take authority over the spiritual principalities that are keeping the Yung-Chuun bound.
• Ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers to work among the Yung-Chuun.
• Pray that God will raise up prayer teams to break up the spiritual soil of China through worship and intercession.
• Ask God to speed the completion of the Jesus film and other Christian materials into the Yongchun language.
• Pray that the doors of China will soon open to missionaries.
• Ask God to use the small number of Yung-Chuun Christians to share the Gospel with their friends and families.
• Pray that God will raise up qualified linguists to translate the Bible into the Yongchun language.
• Ask the Lord to bring forth a triumphant Yung-Chuun church for the glory of His name!

THE PEOPLE

• People name: Yung-Chuun
• Country: China
• Their language: Yongchun
• Population: (1990) 11,400
  (1995) 12,000
  (2000) 12,600
• Largest religion: Ethnic religionist 99.7%
• Christian: <1%
• Church members: 36
• Scriptures in their own language: None
• Jesus Film in their own language: None
• Christian broadcasts in their own language: None
• Mission agencies working among this people: 0
• Persons who have heard the Gospel: 1,400 (12%) Those evangelized by local Christians: 600 (5%)
  Those evangelized from the outside: 800 (7%)
• Persons who have never heard the Gospel: 10,600 (88%)

• Country: China
• Population: (1990)1,135,043,000
  (1995)1,199,901,200
  (2000)1,262,195,800
• Major peoples in size order: Han Chinese (Mandarin) 67.7%
  Han Chinese (Wu) 7.5%
  Han Chinese (Cantonese) 4.5%
  Han Chinese (Hunanese) 3.5%
• Major religions: Nonreligious 55%
  Chinese Folk Religionist 17%
  Atheist 12.7%
  Christian 7.5%
  Buddhist 5.3%
  Muslim 2.4%
• Number of denominations: 42