Introduction / History

The Pa Di people are closely related to the Tay people. The Tay people have been in Vietnam as early as 500BC.

Where Are they Located?

The Pa Di people live in the far northern provinces of Vietnam near the Chinese border and in the adjacent parts of China.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Pa Di people are mainly rice farmers, though they also grow sweet potatoes and maize. They have been using irrigation for centuries. They irrigate their fruit trees and raise livestock for their meat source. This people group is especially well-known for their ability to embroider.

Young men and women can date one another, but their parents must give their blessing in order for them to marry. The man's family check the bride's fortune and compare it with the fortune of their son. The bride stays with her parents until she is pregnant.

What Are Their Beliefs?

They worship gods of nature and their ancestors. Each Pa Di home has an alter to their ancestors, which is centrally located. They have borrowed some ideas from Taoism. Some have adopted Buddhism. They also have a supreme deity they call the Jade Emperor.

Their funerals are elaborate with many rituals in order to bring the spirit of the deceased to the world of the afterlife. After three years they perform another ritual to end the mourning period and to bring the spirit of the deceased to the ancestral altar.

What Are Their Needs?

The Pa Di people need to have the chance to give their allegiance to Jesus Christ.

Prayer Points

Pray for families of Pa Di believers in China loving and serving others to grow reproducing churches.
Pray for a chain reaction of Pa Di families reaching families that results in thousands of new believers who share their faith with others.
Pray for grace and truth expanding into the entire Pa Di society as all believers learn to love others.
Pray that churches and believers will bless their entire people group in such a way that God's love will change the Pa Di people like yeast changes dough.

Scripture Prayers for the Pa Di in China.

References

https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/19580/CH
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/19580/VM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tay_people
http://www.vietnam-culture.com/tay-ethnic-group.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pa_Di_language