The Barkhor (pilgrims’ circuit) is found in the heart of Lhasa encircling the Jokhang Temple. It is the earliest remaining street in Lhasa.
In the past, it was a designated circumambulation circuit, "a saint road" in the eyes of Tibetans. Now it's also a shopping center, an old district with colorful Tibetan features. The streets of the Barkhor have recently been widened and a wide area, called Barkhor square, created in front of Jokhang Temple. Tibetan houses line the streets, and the ground is paved with flagstones, preserving the ancient look. In the street, you can find souvenirs, and experience the mysterious "one step one bow" way to religion. It dates back to the foundation of the Jokhang and is an essential pilgrim route. Houses and small inns were built all around the street. All the houses along the street are stores. All kinds of fantastic commodities show us all aspects of the Tibetan life. As time went on, shops and businesses set up in the Barkhor, and it slowly became a prosperous area.
In the past 30 years many more services and facilities have opened, shops have increased and the street is scattered with stalls. It bustles with activity and is always jam-packed with trades people. It is "must" for souvenir-hunting tourists.
Many people call the Barkhor "the window of Tibet" as it exhibits a typical Tibetan life. The old circumambulation circuit is always crowded with pilgrims from everywhere. Some progress along the road by performing body-long obeisances, some come by truck. Some are monks, and some are businessmen from Kham, a region encompassing East Tibet and part of Sichuan Province. Here you will find people from all over Tibet. You can experience different styles of dress and languages. Even the similar-looking clothes of the monks vary depending on the different branches of Buddhism they practice.
Tips
- Walk in a clockwise direction around the streets of the Barkhor.
- Don't stroll in the Barkhor streets too late. Every evening after 6pm the Barkhor Street will turn to a fair trade market, mainly selling small articles of everyday use. As there are many narrow lanes and side roads along the street, you may easily get lost in the dark.
- For some unknown reason, the stall keepers in Barkhor Street firmly believe that secondhand goods can be sold at a higher price, so they will show you new articles, while telling you they are secondhand. In fact, that's only a way of increasing the perceived value, and does not indicate any problem about their judgment.
- Bargain. When shopping in the Barkhor streets, visitors should learn to bargain with the stall keepers. The stall keepers will charge quite different prices for the same article, usually by ten times the amount! Don't make the final decision before inquiring at several shops. The quality of the same product can also differ greatly from store to store, especially the “Dzi Beads from Heaven”.
- Discounts: According to ancient customs, every day Tibetan stall keepers will offer discounts to the first and the last buyers. Another custom is that the stall keeper will tap money received on the goods as a way of inviting the God of Wealth.
