Tibetan Gtsang in Bhutan
Photo Source:
Copyrighted © 2023
Claudio Zaccherini - Shutterstock All rights reserved. Used with permission |
Map Source:
People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project
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| People Name: | Tibetan Gtsang |
| Country: | Bhutan |
| 10/40 Window: | Yes |
| Population: | 900 |
| World Population: | 759,900 |
| Primary Language: | Tibetan, Central |
| Primary Religion: | Buddhism |
| Christian Adherents: | 0.00 % |
| Evangelicals: | 0.00 % |
| Scripture: | Complete Bible |
| Online Audio NT: | No |
| Jesus Film: | Yes |
| Audio Recordings: | Yes |
| People Cluster: | South Asia Buddhist |
| Affinity Bloc: | South Asian Peoples |
| Progress Level: |
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Introduction / History
The Gtsang Tibetans are part of the Tibetan nationality, but they speak a language only partly intelligible with other Tibetan varieties. Captain O 'Conner, the British trade agent at Gyantse in the early 1900s, described the Gtsang Tibetans as "superstitious indeed to the last degree, but devoid of any deep-rooted religious convictions or heart searchings, oppressed by the most monstrous growth of monasticism and priest-craft which the world has ever seen."
Where Are they Located?
Gtsang Tibetans are located in China (Tibet), Nepal, India, and a small number are in Bhutan.
What Are Their Lives Like?
Gtsang Tibetans hold the Xigaze New Year Festival 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.
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. Gtsang Tibetans are devout Tibetan Buddhists. In the 1600s, a Jesuit missionary entered the land of the Gtsang Tibetans, and won many to Roman Catholicism, and there are still a few who remain Christian.
What Are Their Needs?
The Gtsang Tibetans need true spiritual hunger that will lead them to the cross.
Prayer Points
Pray that the Lord would send his ambassadors to the Gtsang Tibetans to bring Jesus to them.
Pray that the Gtsang Tibetans in Bhutan will soon understand the spiritual depth and the unfathomable love of our Lord and Savior.
Pray that soon there will be fellowships and disciple making movements among the Gtsang Tibetans in Bhutan and China.