CHINESE AND TIBETAN GLOSSARY
ambanrepresentative of imperial China
Amdoregion of Tibet
Amnye Machena mountain in Amdo
ani dgonpanunnery
Animaqing Shan Amnye Machen Mountain
ba zangwen wei zhu
make Tibetan the main language for teaching
BaichunluWhite Mouth Deer
Ba’ idurya sngon poBlue Lapis Lazuli
baipishuwhite-covered books (series of white papers on China’s ethnic minorities)
Bianjing Diqu JiansheBuzhufeiBorder Areas Construction Aid Fund
bla brangresidence of a tulku (reincarnated lama)
BodTibet
Bod kyi rtsom rig sgyu rtsalTibetan Literature and Art
bod kyi rus mdzod chen moThe Great Tibetan Genealogy
bod miTibetan people
bod paTibetan people
bod rigsTibetan people; Tibetan nation
BönTibetan religion predating Buddhism
btsan poTibetan kings of the Yarlung dynasty
chammasked ritual dance performed by monks
chol kha gsumthree regions (of Tibet)
chörtenstupa
chos rgyalreligious king; the king as protector and patron of religion
chos srid gnyis ldanthe dual religious and secular system of government
chubatraditional Tibetan costume
chuzhongjunior middle school
cunvillage (administrative unit below district level) See xiang
danweiwork unit
DaserMoonlight
dazhuanvocational college
deb ther dmar poRed Annals
deb ther sngon poBlue Annals
dgon lagbranch monastery
dgonpamonastery
dianxiaopoint school
difang zhilocal history
dingyuanquota (for monasteries)
diqudistrict
Domedregion of Tibet
dong chong xia cao“winter worm summer grass” (caterpillar fungus)
drabamonk
DrangcharLight Rain
DrichuYangtze River
DzachuMekong River
’dzam gling rgyas bshadOn the World [Grand Exegesis of the World]
Dzayülplace in Kham
er leisecond category, referring to medium of teaching
er pai he zhu“two branches together,” referring to monasteries
fahuiBuddhist ceremony
fangzhilocal history
fenlie zhuyi“splittism” (separatism)
fenpei zhidujob assignment system
foxueyuanBuddhist college
fuze zijiadministered by oneself, referring to monasteries
ganbu zinücadre children
Gangjongyi ChonuSnowland Youth
Ganzi Zangwen Xuexiao
Ganzi Tibetan School
gaodeng xuexiao higher-level school or college
gaoji foxueyuanhigher Buddhist college
gaozhongsenior middle school
gelongfully ordained monk
Gelugschool of Tibetan Buddhism
genyencandidate monks
geshehighest degree in the Gelugpa system of religious teaching; a person who has obtained this degree
getsulnovice monk
guanli weiyuanhuimanagement committee
Guoluo Minzu Shifan Xuexiao Guoluo Minzu
Teachers School
gyeguceremonial display of a giant thanka on a slope or hillside
hangyetrade
hanyu(Han) Chinese language
huizuHui minzu
huofo“Living Buddha” (tulku)
jiaoshi fangweiteaching method
jiaoyujuEducation department
Jihua Shengyuplanned reproduction policy (“one-child policy”)
Jimei Jianzan Sili Jigme Gyaltsen XuexiaoPrivate School
jinunit of measurement, one jin equals 1/2 kilo
jisuboarding
Jonangschool of Tibetan Buddhism
Kagyuschool of Tibetan Buddhism
KangbaKham
Kangba daxueKhampa university
Kangba wenhuaKhampa Culture
Kangding Minzu Shizhuan Gaodeng Zhuanke XuexiaoKangding Minzu
Kangding Zangwen ZhongxueKangding Tibetan Middle School
KangyurBuddhist texts (the words of the Buddha Sakyamuni)
Kanlho SargyurKanlho News
Khamregion of Tibet
khatascarf used for greetings and to adorn altars and other objects of spiritual significance
Khawa Karponame of a mountain in Kham
khenpoabbot
kluspirits of the under world who often inhabit springs and waters
klu khanghouse where the klu rol festival takes place
klu rolname of a festival
Kumbumname of a monastery
Labrang Tashikhyilname of a monastery
labtsesite for ritual arrows or branches with prayer flags, often located on a mountain pass, ridge or hillside
Labuleng SiLabrang Monastery
lamateacher (of spiritual knowledge)
lamrimstudy method introduced by Tsong-khapa, founder of the Gelugpa tradition
laodong kelabor class
laogaiprison labor camp
lha khangtemple
lishi xiguanhistorical tradition
LiuyuehuiSixth Month Festival
luohoubackward
lungtapieces of paper or cloth inscribed with “wind horse” symbols
ma bu“mother” and “son,” referring to monasteries
MachuYellow River
Maji XueshanAmnye Machen
manimantra or prayer
mani khangprayer house
Meili XueshanKawa Kharpo Mountain
me tog mchod ’bulflower offering ceremony
Minwei (Minzu Shiwu Weiyuanhui) (
)Ethnic Affairs Commission
minzu chubansheminzu publishing house
minzu gewutuanminzu song and dance troupe
minzu shibieminzu identification project
minzu shifan xueyuan
minzu teachers college
minzu tuanjie“unity of the nationalities”
minzu xuexiaominzu school
minzu zhongxueminzu middle school
minzubanminzu education
minzuxueminzu studies/ethnology
mizongtantra
mkhas pa’i dga’ stonA Feast for Wise Men
Mönlamreligious ceremonies held just after Tibetan New Year
muunit of measurement, 15 mu equals one hectare
muminherders (nomads)
namtharbiographical story; name of Tibetan opera in the Amdo region
nangpabelievers; literally, “insiders”
Ngaba SargyurNgaba News
ngagpapractitioner of magic
Ngariregion of Tibet, also known as Tö
nianjingrecite (Buddhist) scriptures
nigu sinunnery
nongmu zinüherder (nomad) children
Nyarongname of a place in Kham
Nyingmaschool of Tibetan Buddhism
pechawareader; monk engaged in a philosophical study program
phyi panon-believers, literally “outsiders”
pingdengequality
pizhungovernment acceptance/approval
Pomename of a place in Kham
puchufirst four years in primary school
puji chudeng jiaoyu
compulsory primary education
putongstandard
putong zhongxuestandard middle school
qiangzuQiang minzu
Qinghai Difangzhi WeiyuanhuiQinghai Local History Committee
Qinghai jiaoyuQinghai Education
Qinghai keji baoQinghai Science and Technology News
Qinghai Minzu Xueyuan
Qinghai Minzu Institute
Qinghai Zangwen bao
Qinghai Tibetan News
quanmin xinjiao diqu“area where everyone is a religious believer”
Qunzhong wenyiFolk Arts and Literature
Qutan SiQutan Monastery
renmin yishu gongpeople’s arts palace
rgya miChinese people
rgya rigsChinese people; Chinese nation
rgyud bzhiThe Four-Volume Medical Codes
rig gnasculture
rig gnas chenmo ngafive great fields of knowledge
Rongwo Gönba Dechen Chökorling
name of a monastery in Amdo
rus mdzod thor buAssorted Genealogies
rus mdzod za ’og maThe Brocade Genealogy
ruxuelü entrance rate
saimahuihorse race festival
sa dpyadgeomancy
Sakyaschool of Tibetan Buddhism
Samyename of a monastery in central Tibet
san leithird category, referring to medium of teaching
shaoshu minzuminority minzu
Shaoshu Minzu Jiaoyu
Minority Minzu
Buzhu ZhuankuanEducational Fund
sheshui sengrenmonk without a monastery
shengprovince
shengxulivestock
shimunicipal area
shuangyubilingual
shuyu zijibelongs to oneself, referring to monasteries
sixiang pindeideology and morals (school subject)
sixiang zhengzuiideology and politics
siyuanmonastery
siyuan guanli jiegou
monastic administrative unit
Ta’er SiMonastery Kumbum
Tagong SiLahgang Monastery
Tanggi Tsowa Lifeof the Party
TengyurBuddhist texts (commentaries to the Kangyur)
thankaimage of a deity made of silk, either embroidered or painted
tianzang sky burial
Töregion of Tibet, traditionally known as Ngari
TongzhanbuUnited Front department (a division of the CCP)
tormasmall figure made of barley flour used during religious rituals
Tsangregion of Tibet
TsernyegClimb
tsa-tsareligious images made of clay
Tso ngönQinghai Lake
Tso ngön Böke SargyurQinghai Tibetan News
Tso ngön LobsoQinghai Education
Tso ngön Mangtso GyutsalQinghai Folk Arts and Literature
Tso ngön Trimlu SargyurQinghai Judicial News
Tso ngön Tsenrig dang Trulche Sargyur
Qinghai Science and Technology News
tuanjieunite
tuanyuanmember of China’s Communist Youth League
tuixiuretire
tulkureincarnated lama
TuzuTu minzu
Üregion of Tibet
uchenprinted Tibetan script
umecalligraphic Tibetan script
Ü-Tsangregion of Tibet, including Ü and Tsang
weisheng xuexiaohealth school (medical school)
wenhua chengducultural level
wenhuajuculture department
wenyiliterature and arts
Wuming Foxueyuan
Chinese name of Buddhist institute in Serthar (Seda) County
Wushengqu Zangwen Xiezuo Jiaocai Bangongshi
Five Provinces Teaching Material Office
wu yonguseless
xiafangrustication
xiancounty
xiangvillage district (administrative unit below the county level)
Xibei Minzu Xueyuan
Northwest Minzu Institute
xibu da kaifaDevelop the Western Region (campaign)
XikangXikang, pre-1949 name of province in Kham area
Xikang Sheng Zangzu
Xikang Province Zizhiqu Tibetan Autonomous District
Xinan Minzu Xueyuan
Southwest Minzu Institute
Xinhua shudianXinhua bookstore
xiu ziji fuzebe in charge of repairs oneself, referring to monasteries
Xiwang GongchengProject Hope
xuexi fangshistudy method
xuefeituition fee
xuexiaoschool
yi leifirst category, referring to medium of teaching
YizuYi minzu
za ju quarea with ethnically mixed population
zafeimiscellaneous fee (for school children)
Zanghua Yanjiuyuan
Thanka Research Institute
zangwenTibetan (written) language
zangwen zhongxueTibetan middle school
zangyuTibetan (spoken) language
zangyu xuexiaoTibetan school
Zhang qui’erChinese transcription of the name of a Tibetan-language journal (T: sbrang char)
zhaosheng bangongshi
students enrolment office
zhentown, or township
zhengxieChinese People’s Political Consultative Committee
zhongdian wenwu baohu danweihistorical and cultural site under state protection
Zhongguo zangyuxi gaoji foxueyuan
High-Level Tibetan Buddhist Institute of China
zhonghua minzuChinese nation
zhongxin xuexiaokey school
zhongxuemiddle school
zhongzhuanvocational middle school
zhouprefecture
zhou wenhuagongprefecture cultural palace
zhou wenhuaguanprefecture cultural house
Zhuqing SiZhuqing Monastery
zhuxuejinscholarship, grant
zi ren ding deself-appointed
zixing huansureturn to secular life (for a monk)
zizhiquautonomous region
zizhixianautonomous county
zizhizhouautonomous prefecture
zongjiao yiwureligious work (for merit)
zongjiao huodongchang
religious site
zongjiao huodongdian
religious site
zongjiao renyuanreligious personnel
zongjiaojureligious affairs department