Barkhor Street
Lhasa's oldest street, still walked clockwise by pilgrims every single day.
Barkhor Street is the circular route that rings the Jokhang Temple, and it works as two things at once: the city's most important pilgrim kora (circumambulation route), walked clockwise by devout Tibetans as a daily act of devotion, and Lhasa's liveliest market, lined with stalls selling prayer flags, turquoise and coral jewellery, Tibetan carpets, incense and religious items.
Unlike a purpose-built tourist market, Barkhor is genuinely used by the community it serves, pilgrims spinning prayer wheels walk alongside stallholders and shoppers, and the atmosphere shifts noticeably at dawn, when the kora is at its most devotional, versus midday, when it's at its most commercial.
Highlights
A working pilgrim kora around the Jokhang Temple, not a staged attraction
Best experienced at dawn for the devotional walk, or midday for the market
Traditional Tibetan crafts, jewellery and religious items
Free to walk, no entrance fee
Trips that visit Barkhor Street
Practical Info
Address
Encircling the Jokhang Temple, central Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region
Opening Hours
Open all day; most stalls trade roughly 9:00am to 8:00pm
Price
free
Free to enter and walk; goods are paid for individually
In This Destination
Lhasa
Tibet's spiritual and political capital, home to the Potala Palace
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