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People group profile · PG007542

The Thao of Taiwan

The Thao of Taiwan, numbering about 850 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a people whose ancestors followed a legendary white deer from the Jianan Plain to Sun Moon Lake, later relocated to Ita Thao village after a hydroelectric dam flooded their sacred Lalu Island, recognized in 2001 as Taiwan's tenth indigenous group.

They are an indigenous people in the Taiwan Indigenous people cluster of the East Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Protestantism, and they primarily speak Min Nan Chinese.

Pray for the ThaoPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Thao people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Thao

Fast facts

Country
Taiwan
Population
850
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Taiwan Indigenous
Primary language
Min Nan Chinese (nan)
Primary religion
Protestantism
Strategic Progress Index
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
5% or Greater but Less than 10%
GSEC
5% or Greater but Less than 10% Evangelical
Lostness priority
Marginally Reached People Group
Region
Eastern Asia, Asia
Location
Nantou county: Sun Moon Lake southeast shore, Te-hua village, and Ta-p’ing-lin, 14 km away

Where they live

Gospel status

The Thao are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 5% evangelical.

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

Next steps for the Thao

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Protestantism · Christianity

Primary language

Min Nan Chinese · Southern Daly family

100% speak Min Nan Chinese

Gospel resources in Min Nan Chinese

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

Films

Bibles

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

Pray for the Thao

  1. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  2. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  3. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  4. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.

Download a prayer guide

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