Barkhor Street

Barkhor Street, also known as Bajiao Street, is located in the old city of Lhasa. It has well preserved the ancient city's traditional visage and living style. It is a very ancient round street surrounding the Jokhang Temple and the Tibetan people are always proud of it. As a symbol of Lhasa, this street is also a must-see place for the tourists.

History:
It's said that in 647, the first Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo (617 - 650) built the Jokhang Temple. Due to its magnificence, it quickly attracted thousands of Buddhist pilgrims. As a result, a trodden path appeared. That is the origin of Barkhor Street. Today many pilgrims still hold the prayer wheels, walking clockwise from the dawn to the darkness. Even some of them are teenagers or those who have experienced thousands of miles' walk to reach this sacred place. The way they express their piety could make you understand the holiness of religion.

For tourists, Barkhor Street is a magical place showing the original outlook of Lhasa. The street was paved by hand-polished stone boards. Though it is not broad, it accommodates thousands of tourists every day. Varied shops stand on both sides of the street and thousands of floating stands are everywhere on this street. Most of them offer the prayer wheels, long-sleeve 'chuba' (the Tibetan people's traditional clothes), Tibetan knives and some religious articles for sale. Furthermore, some shops sell 'Thangka' (the Tibetan scroll painting), which is a unique art of Tibet with the themes of religion, history, literature, science and customs.

Tip:
It is better not stay too late in the street because there are many lanes there and it's easy to lose your way in the evening.