MAN GOO GOO!
(HELLO!)
Step forward and join the Khantau (Xiandao) Language Preservation Project — a student-led initiative dedicated not just to supporting a minority community, but to safeguarding a truly irreplaceable piece of human heritage.
What is Khantau language
Picture this: Deep in the Gaoligong Mountains of Dehong, Yunnan — so deep even Google Maps gets nervous — there’s a tiny hidden village called Xiandao. That’s the Mandarin name. The locals? They call themselves Khantau, and they speak a language so rare it makes Fabergé eggs look mass-produced.
We’re talking Khantau language — a full-blooded member of the Burmish Tibeto-Burman family, hanging out in the same elite circle as Achang, Zaiwa, Leqi, Bola, and Burmese. These languages are cousins; Khantau is the stylish one who shows up late but still steals the room.
And why do linguists love it?
Because Khantau is weird in all the best ways. It preserves features other languages dropped centuries ago, twists verbs like a professional contortionist, and basically hands historical linguists a treasure chest labelled: “Open Me and Rewrite a Chapter.”
In other words: if Tibeto-Burman languages were a courtroom drama, Khantau is the unexpected witness that changes the whole case.
Check the map on the right — that’s Dehong in Yunnan, and Yunnan in China.
Where Dehong is located in Yunnan Province, PRC.
Where Yunnan Province is located in PRC.
We are a team of 17-year-old, high-voltage language preservation activists from KMYZ-INTL in Kunming, Yunnan — and let’s get one thing straight: we don’t do this for college apps.
We do this because we know exactly what we’re doing, and we know it matters.
And we’re not tiptoeing around it — we’re here to make sure the Khantau language doesn’t just survive, but stands back up and refuses to disappear.
Small team? Sure.
Young? Technically.
But we’re driven and relentless.
Language Documentation
We regard language documentation as a crucial part of any language preservation program. Therefore, the top priority of this program is to document as much existing Khantau language material as possible.
Our ways of documenting Khantau language are multifaceted. We document both physically and digitally, both within and outside the government protection framework.
Language Promotion
After two months of filming and editing, we released the first-ever documentary in Khantau — a milestone marking the moment this language can officially voice itself to the world.
The documentary is freely available on more than ten Chinese and international platforms, including (but not limited to) YouTube, TikTok (Douyin), Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), Bilibili, and WeChat Official Accounts.
Khantau Cultural Archive
The National Culture Center at Khantau is a key place for preserving minority cultures and keeping ethnic traditions alive. It offers a welcoming space where people can learn about art, join cultural activities, and experience the beauty of ethnic and folk heritage. We are currently requesting funds from the government and local businesses to support the establishment of this cultural center.
Want to know what our plan looks like and give some advice? Click here.
Our Partners
We are proud to have the support of the Yunnan Provincial Government of China.
Impressive? That’s just the beginning — we are also working in collaboration with a growing list of agencies and organizations.
