The Hani of China

The Hani of China, numbering approximately 1,960,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are described as a Lolo-speaking ethnic group indigenous to the high southwestern plateau of southwestern China's Yunnan province They are an Indigenous people, with Hani as their ethnic/kinship group and are in the Hani-Akha people cluster of the Himalayan Peoples. They mostly adhere to Chinese Folk Religion and Hani is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Hani

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Himalayan Peoples
Country: China
People Cluster: Hani-Akha
Primary Language(s): Hani (hni)
Primary Religion(s): Chinese Folk Religion
Population: 1,960,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG007184
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Hani of China

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Chinese Folk Religion
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

95%
%
Chinese Folk Religion Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Hani
Language Family: Sino-Tibetan

100%
%
Hani Speakers

Media Resources in Hani:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Hani:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Hani bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Hani are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Hani:
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

Pray specifically for the Hani of China

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.
readEphesians 2:4-5

Pray that those who have not yet received new life will be made alive together with Christ, saved by grace and raised up with Him to newness of life.

And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
readZechariah 2:11

Pray that many will take refuge in the Lord and be His people who share the good news of salvation in Jesus with others.

For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.
readPsalm 47:2

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will exalt the Lord, recognizing His reign over the nations and His sovereignty over all things.

And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
read2 Corinthians 12:28

Ask God to raise up believers who will faithfully proclaim the good news and equip others to do the same.

Hani Across Countries (ROP3 - 103712) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

3 people groups

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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