Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG007431

The Xiangtang of China

The Xiangtang of China, numbering about 138,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a southern Yi people of Yunnan who likely descended from early migrants from the Yi homeland in Guizhou and developed a distinct identity while many communities gradually assimilated into surrounding Han Chinese society.

They are an indigenous people in the Other Tibeto-Burmese people cluster of the Tibetan Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Xishanba Lalo.

Pray for the XiangtangPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Xiangtang people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Xiangtang

Fast facts

Country
China
Population
138,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Other Tibeto-Burmese
Primary language
Xishanba Lalo (ywt)
Primary religion
Ethnoreligion
Strategic Progress Index ?
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC ?
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority ?
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Eastern Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Xiangtang are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Xiangtang

  • Continue prayer and fasting for this group
  • Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
  • Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Primary religion

Ethnoreligion

95% adherents

Primary language

Xishanba Lalo · Sino-Tibetan family

75% speak Xishanba Lalo

Gospel resources in Xishanba Lalo

  • Bible not available
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories not available

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Xiangtang

  1. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  2. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  3. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  4. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.

Download a prayer guide

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.