Warjap, a Guiqiong-speaker, slowly creaked his way down the row of prayer wheels. He was spinning each one with just enough force to make sure it made a full rotation, as he kept moving at a steady pace without missing one. After spinning the rows of wheels at the temple, he would prostrate himself seven times at the holy stone. Later at home he would say his mantras and use his prayer beads. The young people put off dealing with their sins until tomorrow; the old people with death looming need to do all they can to eliminate the bad karma they have accrued right away. They are hoping to earn a better next-life. The 7,000 Guiqiong-speakers live mainly in arable farming communities in mid-western Sichuan Province. Guiqiong is a Qiangic language, with four tones and no written script. Due to their relative proximity to Han civilization, it’s fair to say that of the various Qiangic Speaking Tibetan (QST) groups, the Guiqiong are the most Sinocised (meaning that they are strongly influenced by the Chinese). However, since the terrain of the Guiqiong is so steep and rugged, it is possible that there are places where their language is spoken widely which are, as yet, untouched by researchers and linguists. The older women, in particular, wear traditional embroidered tunics and headdresses, and the Guiqiong still proudly adhere to their traditional cultural identity. Ask the Lord of the Harvest to use the Han Chinese Church which has already begun to reach out to the Guiqiong to bring the good news to this people group. Learn more at Joshua Project.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Jul 2013 19:27:57 +0000
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