The Chinese in Vietnam

Over a period of about 1,500 years, Han Chinese people arrived in Vietnam in various waves of migration, often against a turbulent political background. In the 13th century, for instance, many flooded into Vietnam when the Mongolians began their bloody reign over China. The most recent migration took place from the 1930s to the 1950s, when thousands of people left China’s Guangzhou province to help build Vietnam’s railway network. Today, they number about 1.1 million and are one of the country’s 53 official minority groups. About five per cent (55,000) of Vietnam’s Han Chinese people are Christians, most of whom are Catholics living in urban centres. Many Han Chinese young people speak Vietnamese and are virtually indistinguishable from their Vietnamese peers.

First Chinese Bibles printed in Vietnam

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam — Bible Sunday in the Chinese Church in Vietnam has always been a special time for Chinese-speaking Christians. But as they gathered on Bible Sunday in July this year, there was something spectacular to celebrate – the completion of the first Chinese Bibles ever to be printed in the country.

In fact, these new Bibles mark a significant moment in the history of the Chinese Church in Vietnam. The first Chinese Church was established in Vietnam in 1919 and, until 1975, Chinese churches imported Chinese Bibles from Hong Kong. Since then, however, when South Vietnam became communist, no Chinese Bibles have been allowed to be imported or printed. When the Chinese Church approached the government last year about the printing of 10,000 Bibles, however, permission was granted only a short time later.

During the service held in Nguyen Trai Christian Church to dedicate the new Bibles, one church leader spoke about the life-giving power of the Bible.

“The Bible is life, it is living,” he said. “We thank the government for their approval. We also want to thank the United Bible Societies for the provision of the films and for the donation of Bible paper. This is a dream come true for us, an answer to our prayers of many years.”

The Bibles are being printed in two batches of 5,000 each – the first is the Bible Society of Malaysia’s edition of the Chinese Union Version, while the second will be the Hong Kong Bible Society’s edition. (WR 381/9 - 11.03)