Taklimakan Uygur in China

The Taklimakan Uygur have only been reported in China
Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

In early 1990 a Chinese oil exploration team came across a village of people living around an extremely remote oasis in the heart of the desert. They were described as having a "gentle culture, living primitive lives in extreme isolation." Experts discovered this tribe had been out of touch with the world for 350 years. "As a result, they ... knew nothing of the historical fact of the Qing Dynasty (China's last dynasty) or about anything else up to the present time."

We do not know why the ancestors of the Taklimakan Uygur fled deep into the desert three and a half centuries ago. It may have been to escape the marauding bandits who infested the area at the time. The Xinjiang authorities - never slow to spot a money-making opportunity - sold the rights to film the tribe to the London-based Third Eye Television for US$2.8 million. This will no doubt have a massive impact on this tribe which had never seen a machine or electric appliance before. They will probably be consumed into mainstream Uygur culture before too long.


What Are Their Lives Like?

At the time of their discovery, the Taklimakan Uygurs "told the time by the sun, had no form of government or authority structure, and no schools or writing system. They lived around an oasis, farming animals and growing crops for their existence." Temperatures in the desert are as harsh as anywhere in the world. Andir, in the western part of the desert, once registered a temperature of 67.2° Celsius (153°F).


What Are Their Beliefs?

Despite their isolation, reports indicate that the Taklimakan Uygur were still Muslims when they were discovered.

The Taklimakan Desert is surrounded by the ancient Silk Road, which witnessed the arrival of Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity in China. At the Dunhuang oasis which skirts the desert, startled archaeologists in the early 1900s began to unearth hundreds of Nestorian Christian documents. Accessible by helicopter only, the Taklimakan Uygur are the epitome of an unevangelized people group.


What Are Their Needs?

The Taklimakan Uygur people need to accept the warm embrace of the only Savior so they can enjoy spiritually meaningful lives.


Prayer Points

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.

Pray for bold workers who are driven by the love of the Holy Spirit to go to them.

Pray for an unstoppable movement to Christ among them.


Scripture Prayers for the Uygur, Taklimakan in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Uygur, Taklimakan
People Name in Country Uygur, Taklimakan
Natural Name Taklimakan Uygur
Pronunciation tak-leh-meh-KAN WEE-gur
Alternate Names Taklamakan; Taklimakan; Uyghur; Uygur Taklamakan
Population this Country 300
Population all Countries 300
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 18709
ROP3 Code 114343
ROP25 Code 308518
ROP25 Name Uyghur
Country China
Region Asia, Northeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 19  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Deep in the heart of what many consider one of the most inhospitable places on earth lies one of the most fascinating stories found among China's peoples. A tribe of "more than 200" Uygurs live in the heart of the Tarim Basin in the desert of Taklimakan, a Uygur word which means "those who go in never come out." A vast expanse of shifting sand and wasteland in China's northwest, it covers an area of 337,000 square kilometers (131,400 sq. mi.) - about equal in size to the combined area of the eleven other deserts in China. Surface and subterranean streams, "fed by water from the melted snow on the Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains, flow quietly on or beneath the desert, forming here and there ponds and small lakes. Oases big and small crisscross the desert."   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Country China
Region Asia, Northeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 19  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Deep in the heart of what many consider one of the most inhospitable places on earth lies one of the most fascinating stories found among China's peoples. A tribe of "more than 200" Uygurs live in the heart of the Tarim Basin in the desert of Taklimakan, a Uygur word which means "those who go in never come out." A vast expanse of shifting sand and wasteland in China's northwest, it covers an area of 337,000 square kilometers (131,400 sq. mi.) - about equal in size to the combined area of the eleven other deserts in China. Surface and subterranean streams, "fed by water from the melted snow on the Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains, flow quietly on or beneath the desert, forming here and there ponds and small lakes. Oases big and small crisscross the desert.".   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
100.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Uyghur (300 speakers)
Language Code uig   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Uyghur (300 speakers)
Language Code uig   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Uyghur

Primary Language:  Uyghur

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1898-1995)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1914-2005)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1950-2022)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
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
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Audio Recordings Xush Hewer Uyghur audio Bible General / Other
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Uyghur Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Uyghur YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Uyghur YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Download scripture in this language eBible.org
Text / Printed Matter Uyghurche Muqeddes Kitab Jemiyiti General / Other
Photo Source Anonymous 
Map Source Joshua Project / Global Mapping International  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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