Nepalis in China

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Nepalis in China

The Nepalese community in China includes people who immigrated there and those of Nepalese descent living in China. In mainland China there are about 3,500 Nepalis, and in Hong Kong about 15,950.

Where they live
- Tibet: Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse
- Other places: Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Kunming, Dali City

Languages and religion
- Languages: Chinese, Tibetan, Newari, Nepali
- Religion: Hinduism

History and communities
- The first Nepalis in Tibet were Newar merchants who traded to Lhasa, Shigatse and Gyantse over many generations.
- Some Nepali traders settled in Tibet for long periods, learned Tibetan, joined Buddhist life, and married Tibetan people.
- In 1943, Nepalese traders in Lhasa formed the Nepalese Chamber of Commerce to promote trade and set prices.
- In Lhasa today, the Nepalese community includes descendants of traders and Nepali hotel/restaurant workers on short-term visas. Some families are mixed Nepali-Tibetan (called kazara) and have lived in Tibet for hundreds of years, speaking Chinese, Tibetan, Newari and Nepali.
- The Gorkha Primary School of Lhasa (65 years old) has two Nepali teachers and is funded by the government of Nepal.
- Gurkhas in Gyirong Town are classified as Daman people.
- Newari traders also live in Zhangmu. There are Sherpa and Kirati communities in Nyalam, Tingri and Zhêntang.

Hong Kong
- Nepalese people make up about 0.2% of Hong Kong’s population.
- They began arriving in the 1970s with the British Army’s Gurkha Brigade, who protected residents and helped deter illegal immigration. They lived in Whitfield Barracks and Shek Kong Barracks.
- After 1997, the Gurkha brigade was disbanded, and many Gurkhas and their children stayed in Hong Kong.
- There are more than 40 Nepalese NGOs in Hong Kong. The Southern League Organization and Hong Kong Gurkha (Nepal) associations are two major groups.

Guangzhou and elsewhere
- Many Nepalis live and work in Guangzhou as traders and students.
- The Non-Resident Nepalis (NRN) Association in China has urged China to open a Consulate General office in Guangzhou because more Nepalis from Kunming and Hong Kong have moved there.

Education and students
- Dali University in Dali City, Yunnan, has attracted Nepalese medical students since 2005. The number grew from 2 students in 2005 to about 175 now.