The Present Situation of Christianity in the Baonuo Minority Group

The Yao people perform a dance
The Yao people perform a dance (photo: pixabay.com)
By Yetta YaoNovember 8th, 2016

Baonuo minority group is located on the border between south Guizhou and north Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region with a population of 32,500. Due to the remote location, most Baonuo people have never heard the Gospel. It is a legend that they used to be cannibals, but they finally stopped after the piteous begging of a boy while they were eating his mother. After that, they no longer ate corpses. Instead, they started the tradition of slaughtering cattle after funerals to satisfy hunger.

As far as ethnicity's concerned, Baonuo belongs to Yao, but they speak the Miao language which is classified as one of Bunu's eleven languages. However, Baonuo people and other Bunu and Yao language-speakers can't communicate. Baonuo group is generally known as "the white pants minority" or "white pants Yao." Legend has it that a chief of a neighboring tribe sent out soldiers in an attempt to wipe out Baonuo minorities. Baonuo people were no match for them and retreated to the high mountain. At that crucial moment, an old man instructed them to come down safely from the cliff. The king of Baonuo was overjoyed at this and clapped his hands on his knees and applauded, but he left his bloodstains on his worn-out pants. Later he was wounded and died on the battlefield. To commemorate his heroic deeds to his people, Baonuo men wear knee-length white pants with red stripes embroidered on the knees as a symbol of the handprint.

It is reported that a small group of Baonuo people have become Christians and recorded the gospel in their language for their people. But most of the Baonuo people still haven't heard the gospel.

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