Samtao in China


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Samtao have been officially counted as part of the Bulang nationality in China. Although they share many cultural similarities with the Bulang, the Samtao speak their own separate language. The Samtao in Myanmar are part of what used to be a collection of three distinct tribes: Samtao, Samtuan, and Sen Chun.

The Samtao, although small in number, have a long and rich history. It is believed that they were originally Wa people who converted to Theravada Buddhism at least nine centuries ago. The great majority of Wa have resisted Buddhism and remain animists or polytheists to this day. After many generations of separation, the Samtao emerged as a distinct people group with their own customs and language.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The primary occupation of the Samtao is tea cultivation. The Bulang Mountains are famous for the Pu'er variety of tea. Other crops include maize, rice, cotton, and sugarcane. Many Samtao men tattoo their limbs and torsos - often with passages of Buddhist scriptures. When a Samtao dies, his family kills a chicken to call back the soul of the deceased. They bathe the corpse and dress it in new clothes. They put a turban on the head and the body is positioned between white cloth sheets.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Samtao are zealous followers of Theravada Buddhism. Their whole ethnic identity is wrapped up in their adherence to Buddhism. Missionary William Clifton Dodd wrote this about the Samtao in the 1920s: "These Sam Tao are one branch of the aboriginal stock found all over Indo-China, including the Khmu of French Laos State, the Lawa of North Siam [Thailand] and the Wild Wa of northern Burma and southern China. These three branches are not Buddhists, but the Sam Tao have been Buddhists for 900 years, and are the best Buddhists we have met."

There is not a single trace of Christianity among the Samtao today. They have never been focused on with the gospel throughout their long history and remain a completely unevangelized people group on both sides of the China-Myanmar border.


What Are Their Needs?

The Samtao people have to turn their hearts towards Christ in order to experience spiritually meaningful lives.


Prayer Points

Pray for the power of Christ to bind dark spiritual forces to lead them from darkness to light.
Pray for signs and wonders to happen among them and for great breakthroughs with a rapid multiplication of disciples and house churches.
Pray for bold workers who are driven by the love of the Holy Spirit to go to them.
Pray for an unstoppable movement to Christ among them.


Scripture Prayers for the Samtao in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Samtao
People Name in Country Samtao
Pronunciation Sahm-taow
Alternate Names Blang; Bo Kho Pa; Bulang; Col; Con; Kawa; Kem Degne; Kiorr; Kontoi; Lua; Mu Di Pa; Phula; Pula; Pulang; Sam Tao; Samtau; Samtuan; Sen Chun; Xamtao
Population this Country 200
Population all Countries 15,000
Total Countries 3
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 14680
ROP3 Code 108587
ROP25 Code 307198
ROP25 Name Samtao
Country China
Region Asia, Northeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 19  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country The small Samtao tribe lives in the Bulang Mountains, in southwest China's Xishuangbanna Prefecture. Little information is available about the Samtao. A 1993 figure placed only 100 speakers of the Samtao language remaining in China, but the number of people who belong to the Samtao ethnic group may be significantly higher. The vast majority of Samtao live in the eastern part of Myanmar's Shan State. They are primarily located in mountain villages northeast of the city of Kengtung. More than 2,000 Samtao also live in Laos.   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Country China
Region Asia, Northeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 19  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country The small Samtao tribe lives in the Bulang Mountains, in southwest China's Xishuangbanna Prefecture. Little information is available about the Samtao. A 1993 figure placed only 100 speakers of the Samtao language remaining in China, but the number of people who belong to the Samtao ethnic group may be significantly higher. The vast majority of Samtao live in the eastern part of Myanmar's Shan State. They are primarily located in mountain villages northeast of the city of Kengtung. More than 2,000 Samtao also live in Laos..   Source:  Operation China, 2000

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Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Buddhism
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
90.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
10.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Samtao (200 speakers)
Language Code stu   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Unknown
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Samtao (200 speakers)
Language Code stu   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Samtao

Primary Language:  Samtao

Bible Translation Status:  Unspecified

Resource Type Resource Name Source
None reported  
Photo Source Anonymous 
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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