The Naza of China

The Naza of China, numbering approximately 2,200 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an indigenous Yi subgroup of Yongsheng County in northern Yunnan, also known as Nazaren or Nazasu, maintaining a distinct identity from neighboring Liude and other Yi communities. They mostly adhere to Chinese Folk Religion and Sichuan Yi is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Tibetan Peoples
Country: China
People Cluster: Other Tibeto-Burmese
Primary Language(s): Sichuan Yi (iii)
Primary Religion(s): Chinese Folk Religion
Population: 2,200
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG022210
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Naza 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

98%
%
Chinese Folk Religion Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Sichuan Yi
Language Family: Sino-Tibetan

100%
%
Nuosu Speakers

Media Resources in Sichuan Yi:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film
JESUSView Film

2 films

Bible Resources in Sichuan Yi:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Sichuan Yi bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Naza 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 Naza:
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 Naza of China

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
readActs 4:12

Pray that those walking in darkness among them will come to know the name by which they must be saved, and call upon Him in faith.

For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God!
readDeuteronomy 32:3

Pray that believers will proclaim the Lord’s name and declare the greatness of our God so that others might believe in Him.

Sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth.
readJohn 17:17

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will experience freedom from sin as God sanctifies them in the truth of His Word.

Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.
readActs 17:29

Pray that God will send out laborers to tell people of the one true God and, as the good news is shared, bring about repentance and belief as they turn from idols and follow Jesus.

Naza Across Countries (ROP3 - 114253) 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.

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