Gtsang Tibetan in China

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

Introduction / History

The Gtsang Tibetans are part of the Tibetan nationality, but they speak a language only partly intelligible with other Tibetan varieties.

Xigaze, the capital of Tibet from 1618 to 1642, is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, Tibet's second most powerful ruler after the Dalai Lama. In 1954 the city was nearly destroyed by floods. After putting down a revolt in 1959, the Chinese imprisoned 400 monks in the Tashilhunpo Monastery.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The Xigaze New Year Festival is held in the first week of the 12th lunar month. Thousands of visitors have flocked to Gyantse since 1408 for the annual Horse Racing and Archery Show.


The Tibetan region is geographically difficult to enter, and Tibetan Buddhists have a long history of having no interest in the gospel.
What Are Their Beliefs?

The Gtsang region is home to several Buddhist sects, including the Nyingmapa (Ancient), Kagyupa (Oral Transmission), and Sakya (Gray Earth) schools. After the death of the Panchen Lama in 1989, the Chinese filled his position with their own choice of successor. In May 1995 the exiled Dalai Lama announced a new Panchen Lama who was immediately rejected by the Chinese. Monks at the Tashilhunpo Monastery, and a number of lay Tibetans, rioted in protest. Eighty monks were interrogated by the police, and the city of Xigatse was sealed off for several days. Tensions have remained high since then.

Jesuit missionary Antonio de Andrade arrived in Tibet from India in 1624 by disguising himself as a Hindu pilgrim. "Andrade outwitted hostile local officials, made his way north to the Himalayas, endured altitude sickness and snow blindness, fought his way over a 17,900-foot pass into Tibet, and finally reached Tsaparang. ... There he impressed the king and queen with his piety, and they gave him permission to return, establish a mission, and preach the Gospel." A revolution in Tsaparang in 1635 abruptly ended the Jesuit mission. Today there are just a handful of Gtsang Tibetan Christians.


What Are Their Needs?

Like people everywhere, the Gtsang Tibetan people need to allow the loving Savior to direct their lives. They need his forgiveness for sin.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Lord to intervene in their families, calling people to his side.

Pray for loving workers.

Pray for their hearts to be drawn to the Lord of lords.

Pray for a church planting movement to thrive in their communities.


Scripture Prayers for the Tibetan Gtsang in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Tibetan Gtsang
People Name in Country Tibetan Gtsang
Natural Name Gtsang Tibetan
Pronunciation git-ZUNG ti-BEH-ten
Alternate Names Bhotia; Gyantse; Sagka; Sagya; Tsang; Xigatse Tibetan; Xigatse Tibetans; Xigatze; टिबेटन, गठसांग
Population this Country 759,000
Population all Countries 759,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 15
People ID 18698
ROP3 Code 114330
ROP25 Code 308145
ROP25 Name Tibetan
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 Almost 600,000 Tibetans belong to the Gtsang Tibetan dialect group. They are located in a wide geographical area, stretching east to west over roughly the entire length of the Tibet-Nepal border. Gtsang is spoken in the cities of Xigaze and Gyantse, the second and fourth largest cities in Tibet. The main attraction of Gyantse is the immense pagoda, or Kumbun, built by Rapten Kunsang Phapa (1389-1442).   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 Almost 600,000 Tibetans belong to the Gtsang Tibetan dialect group. They are located in a wide geographical area, stretching east to west over roughly the entire length of the Tibet-Nepal border. Gtsang is spoken in the cities of Xigaze and Gyantse, the second and fourth largest cities in Tibet. The main attraction of Gyantse is the immense pagoda, or Kumbun, built by Rapten Kunsang Phapa (1389-1442)..   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Map of Tibetan Gtsang in China Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Buddhism
Religion Subdivision: Tibetan
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
99.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.01 %)
0.02 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.98 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Tibetan, Central (759,000 speakers)
Language Code bod   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Gtsang
Dialect Code 17465   Global Recordings Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Tibetan, Central (759,000 speakers)
Language Code bod   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Gtsang
Dialect Code 17465   Global Recordings Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Tibetan, Central

Primary Language:  Tibetan, Central

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1862-1991)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1885-1973)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1948-2023)
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 Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Tibetan, Central Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video The Hope Video Mars Hill Media
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
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: Tibetan, Central YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app from Google Play Store Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app from Google Play Store Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Tibetan, Central YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Campus Crusade for Christ
Photo Source (Representative photo)
Copyrighted © 2024  Claudio Zaccherini - Shutterstock  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Map Source People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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