The Qiangyi of China

The Qiangyi of China, numbering approximately 17,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are described as a people of China They are an Indigenous people, with Qiang as their ethnic/kinship group and are in the Tibetan people cluster of the Tibetan Peoples. They mostly adhere to Chinese Folk Religion and Southern Qiang is their primary language.

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

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Tibetan Peoples
Country: China
People Cluster: Tibetan
Primary Language(s): Southern Qiang (qxs)
Primary Religion(s): Chinese Folk Religion
Population: 17,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG022107
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Qiangyi 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.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Chinese Folk Religion
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

95%
%
Chinese Folk Religion Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Southern Qiang
Language Family: Sino-Tibetan

70%
%
Qiang, Southern Speakers

Media Resources in Southern Qiang:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Southern Qiang:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Southern Qiang bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Qiangyi 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 Qiangyi:
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 Qiangyi of China

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.
readJohn 11:25

Pray for the many who have never heard about or understood the importance of what Jesus did for them, asking God to make a way for them to hear that the perfect Son of Man suffered, died, and rose again so that they might be saved.

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
readIsaiah 43:19

Pray that the lost will see the new thing God can do in their lives and trust in His plan and purpose for them.

And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
readLuke 9:17

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will meditate on the stories of Jesus' miracles, be in awe of Him, and trust Him for everything they need.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
readPsalm 139:14

Praise God for His creativity and power, and pray that He will raise up men and women from among them who are in awe of all He has done and want to go share the hope of Christ with others.

Qiangyi Across Countries (ROP3 - 114296) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

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

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