Peppa Pig – the beloved character in the children’s animated series – now speaks Tibetan.
U.S.-based non-profit Tibet Fund on Wednesday announced the launch of the popular children’s cartoon show in the Tibetan language.
The New York-based fund says the effort is aimed at strengthening Tibetan language education for young learners and preserving their cultural and linguistic identity – something that’s increasingly precarious within Tibet itself, where Chinese authorities require children to learn in Mandarin language instead.
“Since Peppa Pig is already so well-loved, we’ve seen a lot of excitement among Tibetan children – unlike other cartoon characters I’ve dubbed in the past,” said Tenzin Choekyi, who voiced Peppa and at least seven other characters.
Created by Neville Astley and Mark Baker, Peppa Pig first aired on British television in 2004, aimed at pre-schoolers. It has since become a global phenomenon as millions of children around the world took to the story of the female pig named Peppa and her life with her family and friends.
Already available in 40 different languages, the Tibetan version of Peppa Pig is now available to watch on a dedicated YouTube channel, with new episodes set to be released each week.
A total of 104 episodes over two series have been produced in Tibetan, after Tibet Fund obtained the license from the makers of Peppa Pig in 2024.
“This is another milestone in our efforts to expand access to excellent quality Tibetan language content for young learners. I hope these videos make learning Tibetan a playful, joyful experience for Tibetan children,” said Bob Ankerson, president of the Tibet Fund.
The Tibetan-language production of Peppa Pig is also a “heartfelt offering” to the Dalai Lama, who turns 90 later this year, and an effort to contribute to the Tibetan spiritual leader’s vision of preserving the Tibetan language and culture, Ankerson said.
The Tibet Fund was founded in 1981 under the auspices of the Dalai Lama. It supports cultural preservation, education, health, and economic development programs for Tibetan communities, both in exile and inside Tibet.
The fund works with the education department of the Dharamsala, India-based Tibetan exile government, known as the Central Tibetan Administration, and other organizations to publish children’s stories and make age-appropriate educational toys and series, said Tenzin Chodon, small grants officer at the fund.
Relatively few children’s cartoons are available in the Tibetan language. Some members of the Tibetan community have dubbed popular cartoons like Tom and Jerry into Tibetan. There are also some cartoons based on traditional Tibetan stories like Aku Phagpa, or Uncle Pig, that can be seen on YouTube.
Edited by Tenzin Pema and Mat Pennington
