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 magTibetan soldier

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

dratsangmonastic college

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

PandengClimb

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

rig gzhungculture

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)

wenhuaculture

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

yul lhaterritorial deity

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

ziran baohuqunature reserve

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