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The Dongxiang of China

The Dongxiang of China, numbering approximately 821,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Mongolic people of Gansu, centered in Dongxiang Autonomous County near Linxia, whose origins reflect Yuan-era Central Asian arrivals and admixture with local peoples. They mostly adhere to Sunni Islam and Dongxiang is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Dongxiang

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: East Asian Peoples
Country: China
People Cluster: Chinese-Hui
Primary Language(s): Dongxiang (sce)
Primary Religion(s): Sunni Islam
Population: 821,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG006729
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Pray for the Dongxiang of China

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Sunni Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

100%
%
Sunni Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Dongxiang
Language Family: Mongolic-Khitan

70%
%
Dongxiang Speakers

Media Resources in Dongxiang:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Dongxiang:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Dongxiang bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Dongxiang are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Dongxiang:
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

Pray specifically for the Dongxiang of China

For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
readPsalm 97:9

Pray that those who don't yet know Him will recognize the Lord as the Most High and turn from spiritual darkness to worship Him above all else.

The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
readPsalm 146:9

Pray for God to watch over people, wherever they are, and cause them to meet believers who will share the gospel with them clearly and lovingly.

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.
read1 Corinthians 9:19

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will have hearts that want to serve the lost around them so that many might come to faith in Jesus.

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
readEphesians 1:13-14

Pray that God will work through believers near and far in bringing the lost to Himself, giving them what they need to do the task He has set before them, and helping them rest in Him because He has given them His Spirit.

Dongxiang Across Countries (ROP3 - 114044) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

PhotoPeople Group ID ▼NameCountryPopulationStrategic Progress IndexLanguageReligion
DongxiangPG006729DongxiangChina821,000Engaged yet UnreachedDongxiangSunni Islam

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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