Barkhor Street, located in the old town area of Lhasa, is the oldest commercial street in Lhasa City.
It is also known as “Pargor Street” or “Parkhor Street,” with “Pargor” meaning “middle” and “khor” meaning “circumambulation path,” giving “Barkhor” the meaning of “middle circumambulation path.”
Originally, Barkhor Street was a single circumambulation path around the Jokhang Temple. Walking on Barkhor Street follows the clockwise direction of the prayer wheels, with many believers prostrating and circumambulating by kneeling and touching their foreheads to the ground.
Surrounding the Jokhang Temple, the buildings along Barkhor Street mostly house shops selling traditional Tibetan goods and tourist souvenirs, making it one of the busiest streets in Lhasa.
Additionally, it has effectively preserved the traditional appearance and living style of this ancient city.
Establishment
In the 7th century AD, under the leadership of Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo, the Spu Gyal tribe, originally based in present-day Shannan City, migrated and settled in Lhasa after unifying various tribes in the Ü-Tsang region, establishing the Tubo Dynasty.
In 639 AD, under the supervision of King Songtsen Gampo, the construction of the Jokhang Temple began at the site of the Wotang Lake, along with the establishment of four palaces around the lake, which were the earliest buildings of the Barkhor Street.
Upon the completion of the Jokhang Temple, it attracted numerous pilgrims, gradually forming a path around the temple, which became the initial Barkhor Street.
Subsequently, around the Jokhang Temple, 18 medium to large buildings were constructed to accommodate pilgrims and traders from afar.
After the 15th century, the Jokhang Temple became the center for the spread of Tibetan Buddhism, leading to the construction of monks’ quarters, religious schools, and small temples around it.
Many Buddhists moved to live around the Jokhang Temple, leading to the emergence of numerous residential houses, shops, inns, and workshops on the streets.
With the elevated religious status of the Jokhang Temple, Tibetan Buddhism established the clockwise circumambulation route known as the “kora” around the temple to pay homage to the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha (12-year-old likeness) enshrined inside the temple.
Barkhor Street gradually became the middle route among the three major kora routes in Lhasa (outer Barkhor around the old city including the Potala Palace, inner kora within the Jokhang Temple known as “Nangkhor”).
Subsequently, traders, pilgrims, and travelers from Mongolia, China, Kashmir, Nepal, Bhutan, India, and other regions and countries arrived, transforming the area into a street combining religious, sightseeing, folk, cultural, commercial, and shopping activities.
Composition
Barkhor Street is composed of Barkhor East Street, Barkhor South Street, Barkhor West Street, and Barkhor North Street, with a circumference of about 1000 meters. The street has many intersections and 35 alleys.
Centered around the Jokhang Temple, it extends west to the Tibetan Hospital building, south to Yanhe East Road, north to Xingfu East Road, and east to the He Lin Kuo East Road of Lhasa Hospital.
Barkhor Street belongs to the Barkhor Street Office of Chengguan District of Lhasa City, with 4 neighborhood committees and 199 residential compounds under its jurisdiction.
Features
Barkhor Street retains the original appearance of the ancient city of Lhasa, with streets paved with hand-polished stones and old Tibetan-style buildings preserved on the sides.
At the heart of the street stands a giant incense burner, emitting smoke day and night. The shops lining the street sell over 8000 different products,
Including religious items like bronze Buddhas, prayer wheels, butter lamps, prayer flags, scriptures, prayer beads, incense, and juniper branches,
As well as everyday items such as carpets, Tibetan robes, aprons, leather bags, horse equipment, snuff bottles, sickles, Tibetan blankets, shoes, knives, hats, butter, butter churns, wooden bowls, barley wine, sweet tea, milk residue, dried meat, Thangka paintings, hand-woven Tibetan carpets, antiques, local Tibetan specialties, and goods from India, Nepal, Myanmar, and Kashmir.
The street is also home to numerous historical sites and temples like the Jokhang Temple, Gyume Dratsang, the ruin of Zhide Dratsang, the Ani Tsankhung, the debating courtyard of the founder of the Gelug school Tsongkhapa, the residence of the inventor of the Tibetan script Thonmi Sambhota, and the office of the Qing Dynasty’s 84th Amban stationed in Lhasa.
Additionally, the clockwise circumambulation around the Jokhang Temple by Tibetan Buddhist believers in the morning and evening has become an important cultural spectacle.
The 6th Dalai Lama’s Secret Palace – Marje Ame
Most buildings on Barkhor Street are white, except for a two-story small building painted in yellow at the southeast corner of Barkhor Street. This is the secret palace of the 6th Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso. “Marje Ame” is a beautiful legend spread in the Tibetan area, meaning sacred mother, pure young girl, or can be interpreted as a beautiful dream.
The 6th Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso, not only an outstanding spiritual leader in Tibetan history but also a talented romantic poet.
Legend has it that Tsangyang Gyatso traveled across the Tibetan region in search of the supreme savior Tara, facing hardships and challenges.
The yellow building where the Lhasa “Marje Ame” bar is located is said to be where Tsangyang Gyatso met Marje Ame. He once wrote the poem “On the Top of the Eastern Mountain” to Marje Ame, which has been passed down to this day: “On the high eastern mountain top, a bright moon rises, the face of the unmarried maiden appears in my mind from time to time.”
“Marje Ame” in Tibetan means “unmarried maiden.”
The current “Marje Ame Bar” is a highly artistic bar with walls adorned with paintings, photographs, handicrafts, and more.
Current Situation
Barkhor Street has gained recognition in the first “China Historical and Cultural Famous Street Selection and Promotion” event.
The judges’ reasoning is as follows:
Barkhor Street can be considered one of the most distinctive and charming historical and cultural districts in China; it is a representative of the long history of urban districts, with 29 key cultural relics and 56 ancient architectural courtyards that epitomize the development of Tibetan society from ancient times to the present.
Barkhor Street Data
Address
Barkhor street, Cheng Guang District
Openning hour
Full day
Altitude
3,650 meters
Entrance fee
Free of charge
How to get to there
By Bus
By bus: 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 18, 19, get off at bus stop “Shi-Fu-You-Bao-Jian-zhan-stop”
By bus: 23, 25, 28, 29, get off at bus stop “Cuo-Mei-Lin-stop”
Visit suggestion
- Take “clockwise ” direction, when you look at the front gate of Jokhang temple, take the left entrance of the street as start
- Follow the main street, the countless small alleys that connect to Barkhor street leads to the old Tibetan neighborhood area, which a maze like, you may easily get lost if you are not accompany by one local guide
- The same item could be found in different shop, you may want to walk through several shops to make the best deal
- Shops in the street are usually closed around 19:00 pm – 21:00 pm; It is suggest to visit this street before 20:00 pm the latest; The recommended time to visit is from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm And 15:00 pm – 17:30 pm
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