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People group profile · PG022122

The Tushu of China

The Tushu of China, numbering about 8,100 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Eastern Yi people of the Guizhou-Yunnan borderlands who maintain a distinct Tushu identity and language despite official inclusion within the broader Yi nationality.

They are an indigenous people in the Other Tibeto-Burmese people cluster of the Tibetan Peoples. Their primary religion is Chinese Folk Religion, and they primarily speak Wusa Nasu.

Pray for the TushuPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
China
Population
8,100
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Other Tibeto-Burmese
Primary language
Wusa Nasu (yig)
Primary religion
Chinese Folk Religion
Strategic Progress Index ?
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC ?
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority ?
Pioneer Unreached People Group
Region
Eastern Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Tushu 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 No
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Tushu

  • 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

Chinese Folk Religion · Ethnoreligion

85% adherents

Primary language

Wusa Nasu · Sino-Tibetan family

100% speak Wusa Nasu

Gospel resources in Wusa Nasu

  • Bible available, published 2018
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

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

Pray for the Tushu

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

Download a prayer guide

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