Discover
The identity of the nation
China is the most populous nation in history, home to about 1.41 billion people and a continuous civilization spanning more than four thousand years. It is a land of extremes: futuristic megacities like Shanghai and Shenzhen coexist with rural villages in the mountains of the west; Mandarin is the official language, but hundreds of dialects and minority languages remain alive among the more than fifty recognized ethnic groups.
For centuries, the Chinese soul was shaped by three great currents: Confucianism, with its emphasis on harmony, family and duty; Taoism, focused on balance with nature; and Buddhism, brought from India. Most of the population today declares no religion, a reflection of decades of official atheism, but popular religiosity remains deep, expressed in ancestor worship, the pursuit of prosperity and reverence for tradition.
The gospel came early to China, first with Nestorian Christians in the 7th century, then with Catholic missionaries, and from the 19th century onward with the work that opened up the country’s interior. The 20th century brought severe persecution, but also one of the greatest revivals in history: far from disappearing, the church multiplied in homes and quiet communities. Today Christians number in the tens of millions, divided between state-registered churches and the vast network of house churches.
Despite this growth, China remains one of the greatest missionary challenges in the world. There are hundreds of still unreached people groups, many of them Muslim or Buddhist, concentrated in the western provinces such as Xinjiang, Tibet, Yunnan and Guizhou. For millions of people, the name of Jesus has never been heard in their own language.
It is a nation of immense influence over the future of the world and a people that is hardworking, resilient and family oriented. Where the gospel has taken root, the Chinese church has shown mature, fervent faith, willing to suffer, becoming one of the most remarkable spiritual forces of our time.
- 21st century BC The first dynasties emerge; one of the oldest and most continuous civilizations in the world is born.
- 221 BC Qin Shi Huang unifies the kingdoms and founds the first Chinese empire; standardizes writing, coins and weights, and begins the Great Wall.
- 7th century Nestorian Christians arrive in China via the Silk Road.
- 1271-1368 Yuan Dynasty, founded by the Mongols; Beijing becomes the imperial capital.
- 1368-1644 Ming Dynasty; consolidation of the Great Wall and the Forbidden City.
- 1644-1912 Qing Dynasty, the last of the empire.
- 1912 The 1911 Revolution topples the empire; Sun Yat-sen proclaims the Republic.
- 1949 Mao Zedong proclaims the People's Republic of China.
- 1978 Deng Xiaoping launches the reform and opening-up policy, the basis of accelerated economic growth.
- Today The world's second largest economy, with a growing church amid strong religious control and hundreds of unreached people groups.
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Mandarinofficial language (standard Chinese, Putonghua), taught nationwide
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Chinese dialectsCantonese, Wu (Shanghainese), Hokkien and dozens more, spoken regionally
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Minority languagesTibetan, Uyghur, Mongolian, Zhuang and many others among the ethnic groups
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Languages without a Biblehundreds of languages still without the complete Scriptures
The third largest country in the world by territory, China stretches from the Pacific coast in the east to the deserts and the Tibetan plateau in the west. It is home to major rivers such as the Yangtze and the Yellow River, fertile plains in the east, towering mountains in the west and deserts in the northwest.
Major cities
- BeijingCapital, political, cultural and educational center
- ShanghaiLargest city, the country's financial capital and biggest port
- ChongqingInterior megacity on the banks of the Yangtze
- Guangzhou (Canton)Trade and industry hub of the Pearl River Delta
- ShenzhenFrom village to technology metropolis in a few decades
- ChengduCapital of Sichuan, hub of the west, home of the pandas
Climate and temperature
Peking Duck
Roast duck with thin, crispy skin, served in pancakes with sauce and scallions, the capital's signature dish.
Dim Sum
Small Cantonese portions of dumplings, buns and rolls, served at morning tea.
Hot Pot
Simmering broth at the center of the table where each person cooks meat, vegetables and tofu, a dish for gathering together.
Hand-Pulled Noodles
Long noodles made by hand, a staple of northern Chinese cuisine.
Mapo Tofu
Tofu in a spicy Sichuan sauce, bold and fiery.
Fried Rice
A classic side dish, found in every region.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Family and ancestors
Filial piety is central: respect for parents and ancestors shapes relationships and decisions.
Harmony and face
Direct confrontation is avoided; preserving the honor and dignity of others matters greatly.
Value of the collective
The group, community and nation tend to come before the individual.
Work and study
Intense dedication to work and to children's education is a source of pride.
Hospitality at the table
Shared meals, with dishes at the center, are the heart of social life.
Tradition and modernity
Cutting-edge technology coexists with age-old customs and traditional festivals.
- Bringing up politics, Tibet, Xinjiang or Taiwan These are sensitive topics and can cause embarrassment or risk.
- Forcing religious conversations in public Religious activity is monitored; discretion protects those who live there.
- Causing your host to lose face Public criticism or direct refusals cause embarrassment; prefer tact.
- Ignoring hierarchy and age Respecting elders and each person's position is expected.
- Generalizing China as a single people There are dozens of ethnic groups and languages, with very different realities.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Decades of materialist doctrine have kept generations away from any faith in the transcendent.
Reverence for ancestors blends with faith and keeps many bound to ancient traditions.
The race for wealth and success becomes a god competing for the people's heart.
Surveillance over faith breeds fear and pushes the church into hiding.
Amulets, divination and worship of folk deities remain strong.
Millions of Hui and Uyghurs follow Islam without access to the gospel.
In Tibet, religion is intertwined with identity and resists the gospel.
In the megacities, spiritual emptiness is masked by consumption and rush.
The split between registered and house churches weakens the body of Christ.
Hundreds of ethnic groups in the west live far from any Christian witness.
China ranks among the nations where Christians face the greatest pressure. State control over religion has intensified in recent years, and the country reached its worst score on record, largely due to new rules on religious presence online, which restrict faith content not approved by the state.
Christian life is divided between registered churches, subject to official oversight, and the broad network of house churches, which operate outside that system. The latter suffer raids, fines, arrests, closures and confiscation of materials. Influential house church movements have been targeted by coordinated operations, with dozens of leaders detained.
Technology is used to monitor believers: facial recognition tracks who attends services and has become mandatory in many state-approved churches. Even so, the Chinese church remains steadfast, creative and growing, showing a mature faith willing to pay the price of discipleship.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
China is home to hundreds of still unreached people groups, totaling tens of millions of people who have never heard the name of Jesus. The largest are among the Hui and Uyghur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists, concentrated in western provinces such as Xinjiang, Tibet, Yunnan and Guizhou. Hundreds of languages still lack a complete Bible, and many of these peoples live in remote regions, far from any Christian witness.
- 139.7M Unreached 10%
- 423K Minimally reached 0%
- 16K Superficially reached 0%
- 1.3B Partially reached 89,6%
- 4.8M Significantly reached 0,3%
- 442 Unreached 81%
- 5 Minimally reached 0,9%
- 1 Superficially reached 0,2%
- 68 Partially reached 12,5%
- 30 Significantly reached 5,5%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Laba
Akto turcomano Frontier
Bunu Frontier
Keji Frontier
Liujia Frontier
Mjuniang Frontier
Nosu tianba Frontier
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
varies greatly between megacities and the interior
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Learn basic Mandarin: English is rarely spoken outside major and tourist centers.
- Use local payment apps: physical cash barely circulates in the cities.
- Be discreet about matters of faith: religious activity is monitored, protect those who live there.
- Download offline translators and maps: many Western services are blocked in the country.
- Respect hierarchy and face: avoid confrontation and direct public criticism.
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.