Xizang
/ˌʃiːˈzɑːŋ/noun
The Mandarin Chinese name for Tibet, written 西藏 and used especially in modern Chinese contexts.
Did you know?“Xizang” is not the original Tibetan name for the whole plateau; it combines Chinese 西, “west,” with 藏, a Chinese rendering associated with Tibetan Tsang.
Etymological Timeline
Early Tibetan period
Tibetan
gTsang
“A historical region of central Tibet, written with the Tibetan form gTsang and commonly transliterated Tsang.”
Medieval Chinese usage
Chinese
藏
“A Chinese form used in names and references connected with Tibet and the Tibetan region of Tsang.”
Ming–Qing period
Chinese
西藏
“Literally “western Tibet” or “western Tsang,” a Chinese geographical designation for Tibet.”
19th–20th Century
Wade–Giles
Hsi-tsang
“The older Wade–Giles romanization of the Chinese name 西藏.”
Modern English
Pinyin
Xizang
“The official pinyin romanization of 西藏, widely used in Chinese-language and diplomatic contexts for Tibet.”