The Naisu of China

The Naisu of China, numbering approximately 82,500 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Yi people of northern Yunnan whose ancestors were part of the wider Yi migrations across southwest China, maintaining a distinct Naisu identity, language, and Red Yi cultural traditions in isolated mountain communities. They mostly adhere to Chinese Folk Religion and Wuding-Luquan Yi is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Tibetan Peoples
Country: China
People Cluster: Other Tibeto-Burmese
Primary Language(s): Wuding-Luquan Yi (ywq)
Primary Religion(s): Chinese Folk Religion
Population: 82,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG007322
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Naisu 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

92%
%
Chinese Folk Religion Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Wuding-Luquan Yi
Language Family: Sino-Tibetan

100%
%
Yi, Wuding-Luquan Speakers

Media Resources in Wuding-Luquan Yi:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film
MagdalenaView Film

2 films

Bible Resources in Wuding-Luquan Yi:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Wuding-Luquan Yi bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Naisu are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Next steps for the Naisu:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Naisu of China

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
readLuke 15:7

Pray that God will convict the lost of their sin, give them an urgency to run to Him for forgiveness, and feel His welcoming arms around them when they turn to Him.

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
readPsalm 96:7

Pray that entire households will come to faith in Jesus and that God will bless their families with faith in Him for generations to come.

Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.
readIsaiah 49:13

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ and suffer for their faith, they will sing for joy and be glad in their hearts because the Lord has compassion on them.

Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!
readPsalm 105:1

Pray that many among them will call on the name of Jesus, develop a heart for the nations, and go to places where the gospel has not yet been received.

Naisu Across Countries (ROP3 - 114238) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

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

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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