Bulang in Thailand


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

Several smaller ethnolinguistic people groups have been combined by the Chinese to form the official Bulang nationality in China. The Bulang traditionally lived in small clans, according to ancestral affiliations. Each clan possessed its own land, and each member of the clan was responsible to work and harvest the crops. If a family moved away from the area, it forfeited its right to own land or reap the benefits from the produce. The Bulang language has great linguistic variety.
Though most Bulang people live in China's Yunnan Province, they also live in nearby Myanmar and Thailand. Eastern Shan State in Myanmar is home to Bulang, especially in the Mong Yang area and near the city of Kengtung. Of the three countries inhabited by the Bulang, Thailand has the smallest number. Most live outside Mae Sai City near the Golden Triangle where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. The Bulang in Thailand fled China in the 1960s because of persecution from communist authorities. About 200 families first moved into Myanmar, before entering Thailand in 1974.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Many of the Bulang are employed as gardeners in Bangkok.
Each Bulang village has its own cemetery where the dead of each family line are buried. The remains of those who die from unnatural circumstances are cremated.
Bulang are renowned as friendly people. The older women love to chew betel nut, which they spit into the dirt. Betel nut stains their teeth black; this is considered a mark of beauty among the Bulang.


Most Bulang see no reason to seek out new ideas and beliefs.
What Are Their Beliefs?

For centuries the Bulang have been ardent followers of Theravada Buddhism. Most of their villages are located alongside Tai people, who adhere to the same religion. Temples and idols are located throughout their communities. Many Bulang men enter the Buddhist monkhood, which brings great honor to their families. Few Bulang have ever heard of Christ, and few care to seek for anything beyond what they already believe. They strive to observe the Buddhist Tripitika (Three Baskets) teaching: practicing self-discipline, preaching, and discussing doctrine. The Bulang believe that right thinking, sacrifices, and self-denial will enable the soul to reach nirvana, a state of eternal bliss.
The few evangelistic efforts that have focused on the Bulang have usually been discontinued by mission groups who invariably found a much more willing reception to their message from other groups in the area. Protestant work among the Bulang prior to 1949 resulted in 30 families being converted. Most of them gave up their faith during the oppressive Cultural Revolution, but there are about 50 Bulang Christians remaining in China today. Bulang translation work has begun in Thailand, but the Bulang in China will not be able to understand the script.


What Are Their Needs?

The Bulang people need to submit to Jesus Christ so they can experience the abundant life he offers in John 10:10.


Prayer Points

Pray for bold workers who are driven by the love of the Holy Spirit to go to the Bulang people in Thailand.
Pray for an unstoppable movement to Christ among the Bulang people.
Pray for the authority of Christ to bind hindering 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.


Scripture Prayers for the Bulang in Thailand.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

The Jungles of Southern Yunnan

Source:  Asia Harvest      Download

People Name General Bulang
People Name in Country Bulang
Pronunciation BOO-lang
Alternate Names Bang; Blang; Braang; Brang; Col; Hkawa; Kala; Kawa; Khon Do; Khon Doi; Kkawa; Kontoi; K'wa; Plaang; Plang; Prong; Pula; Pulang; Saamtaav; Samtao; Samtuan; Sen Chun; Tai Loi; Wa
Population this Country 1,400
Population all Countries 121,000
Total Countries 3
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 12665
ROP3 Code 104959
ROP25 Code 301454
ROP25 Name Bulang, Blang
Country Thailand
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Chiang Rai province: Mae Sai and Mae Chan districts; some west of Bangkok.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Thailand
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Chiang Rai province: Mae Sai and Mae Chan districts; some west of Bangkok..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Map of Bulang in Thailand Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Buddhism
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
96.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.40 %)
4.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Blang (1,400 speakers)
Language Code blr   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Blang (1,400 speakers)
Language Code blr   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Blang

Primary Language:  Blang

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1998-2015)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (2020-2021)
Bible-Complete No
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Blang Jesus Film Project
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Blang YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Blang YouVersion Bibles
Photo Source Copyrighted © 2024  Fabio Nodari - Shutterstock  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Map Source People Group location: SIL / WLMS. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project.  
Video Source Asia Harvest
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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