Barkhor Street

Address: in central of Lhasa’s old city area, Tibet
What to buy: Tibetan ornaments, Tibetan carpets, Tibetan knives and other Tibetan handcrafs, Tibetan Barley wine, Tibetan Buttered Tea and so on

Barkhor Street, a circular street at the center of Lhasa, is the oldest street in Tibet. As the most famous circumambulation and commercial center in Lhasa, Barkhor street keeps its traditional features and living pattern.

Barkhor Street used to be a single street around Jokhang Temple, and is called the “Holy Way” by Tibetans. Now its area expends to the old streets area around the temple. Consisting of the South Street, West Street, North Street and the East Street, Barkhor Street is a Polygon street circle with a perimeter of about 1000m and 35 alleys.

Barkhor Street

The street was paved with manual polishing stones, and the architecture on the streets are keeps the old Tibetan style. In the center of the street, there is a giant censer. On both sides of the street, there are more than 120 handcrafts shops and over 200 stalls with over 8000 kinds of goods including copper Buddha, prayer wheel, butter lamp, carpets, Tibetan barley wine, air dry meat, thangkas and so on. You can find all Tibetan specialties here.

Main Attractions

• Circumambulation Road
Barkhor street circumambulation road is one of the most important circumambulation roads in Tibetan people’s heart. In the evening after a specific time to circumambulate, those circumambulators--there are people from northern Tibet pastoral area with wearing a white robe, people from Kangba mountain region, and people who live in Barkhor blocks in beautiful dress...Anyhow, all sorts of believers, like suddenly received a command then began to strictly walking around according to clockwise direction along the circumambulation road.

Barkhor Street

• Makye-Ame

When visiting to Barkhor Street, there is a place must go and have a look: Makye-ame Tavern. Barkhor buildings are mostly white, only there is a two storied painted yellow building in the Barkhor southeast corner. It is a restaurant of Nepal, Indian and Tibetan flavor. The platform of the roof is an excellent location for overlooking the Barkhor South Street and East Street. The name Makye-ame, came from the sixth Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso, it was said that it is the name of Tsangyang Gyatso lover. And where he met Makye-ame was that yellow building. Makye-ame is a beautiful legend in the Tibetan area, means as the holy mother, pure girl, or can be extended into a beautiful dream.

• Shopping Tips:

1. Do not walk on the street in clockwise direction.

2. In the evening, it is easy to loss in Barhor streets, as there are too many lanes. Therefore, you’d better not stay too late in the street.

3. As there are many stalls selling the same goods, you can compare the price first and than buy the one with appropriate price.

4. The first customer and the last customer in a day usually get the most favorable price from the vendor.

5. In the Barkhor street selling things are mainly arts and crafts and small adorn article, suggest buying from a market stall instead of going to the antique shops or crafts shop. The goods of store are similar in the stalls, but because of competition, the price of stalls will be relatively transparent.
6. In general, after bargaining the price will be no more than 50 Yuan. The extent of the bargain will be subject to the seller's price whether is high or low. You can bargain according to the proportion of 1/4 of the price, the higher the price, the higher the proportion of the bargaining.
7. If you want to buy some small accessories, you can buy the most general materials, such as silver products; please don't buy turquoise and red coral products or raw materials. Because from the past tourists rarely have idea for these things and can't figure out the cost and profit, easily deceived.