The Zhongdian Tibetans wear a different traditional dress from the Deqen Tibetans and all other Tibetans. Zhongdian women prefer to wear a cone-shaped headdress which they wrap inside a scarf.
Local legends say the ancestors of the Zhongdian Tibetans were Qiang people who came to Zhongdian, fought and overcame the locals in battle, and eventually became assimilated to Tibetan ways. This would explain the linguistic, clothing, and cultural differences they have today with other Tibetan groups.
The inhabitants of the Zhongdian area live in two-story wooden houses. Except for a few new roads and electricity lines, life has not changed much in this remote part of China.
The great majority of Zhongdian Tibetans adhere to Tibetan Buddhism. The large Jietang Songlin Monastery, which houses several hundred monks, is located just to the north of Zhongdian Township.
French Catholic missionaries commenced work among the Zhongdian Tibetans in the late 1800s. Today, a large French-style cathedral still stands at Tchronteu, near Weixi. "The purpose of the monks of Saint Bernard was to minister to all in need who traveled over the high mountain trails in trade and commerce. Their most valuable helpers were huge Saint Bernard dogs - half Swiss and half Tibetan. In the city of Weixi, the monks, helped by the Cluny Sisters of Saint Joseph and two Tibetan nuns, ran a mission school attended by children from Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet." A Catholic priest is responsible for 9,500 Tibetan believers in his area. Of these, about 7,500 belong to the Deqen Tibetan group and 2,000 to the Zhongdian Tibetans.
Scripture Prayers for the Tibetan, Shangri La in China.
Profile Source: Operation China, Asia Harvest Copyrighted © Used with permission |
Global Prayer Digest: 2013-07-31 |
People Name General | Tibetan, Shangri La |
People Name in Country | Tibetan, Shangri La |
World Population | 102,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | No |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 2 |
Alternate Names | Chongtien, Chung-tien Tibetans, Khampa, Rgyalathang, Zhongdian, Zhongdian Tibetans |
People ID | 18700 |
ROP3 Code | 114332 |
Country | China | ||
Region | Northeast Asia | ||
Continent | Asia | ||
10/40 Window | Yes | ||
National Bible Society | Website | ||
Persecution Rank | 27 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||
Location in Country | Most inhabit villages in Shangri-La, Weixi and Lijiang counties in the north-western part of Yunnan Province, China. A few Shangri-La (Zhongdian) families have reportedly migrated to Switzerland. Source: Peoples of the Buddhist World, 2004 |
Country | China |
Region | Northeast Asia |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 27 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Location in Country | Most inhabit villages in Shangri-La, Weixi and Lijiang counties in the north-western part of Yunnan Province, China. A few Shangri-La (Zhongdian) families have reportedly migrated to Switzerland.. Source: Peoples of the Buddhist World, 2004 |
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Primary Language | Tibetan, Khams (102,000 speakers) |
Language Code | khg Ethnologue Listing |
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
Primary Language | Tibetan, Khams (102,000 speakers) |
Language Code | khg Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
People Groups | Speaking Tibetan, Khams |
Primary Language: Tibetan, Khams
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes |
Bible-New Testament | No |
Bible-Complete | No |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
World Bibles |
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name |
---|---|
Audio Recordings | Audio Bible teaching (GRN) |
Audio Recordings | Story of Jesus audio (Jesus Film Project) |
Film / Video | God's Story Video |
Film / Video | Jesus Film: view in Tibetan, Khams |
Film / Video | The Hope Video |
Text / Printed Matter | World Missionary Press Booklets |
Primary Religion: | Buddhism |
Religion Subdivision: | Tibetan |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent |
---|---|
Buddhism |
95.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.10 %) |
3.50 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
1.50 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
Christian Segments ▲ | Percent |
---|---|
Anglican |
0.0 %
|
Independent |
3.0 %
|
Orthodox |
0.0 %
|
Other Christian |
0.0 %
|
Protestant |
0.0 %
|
Roman Catholic |
97.0 %
|
Photo Source | Anonymous |
Video Source | Asia Harvest |
Profile Source | Operation China, Asia Harvest Copyrighted © Used with permission |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Read more |