A Sacred Street in Lhasa - Barkhor Street

Tourists have a China travel to Lhasa must know Barkhor Street which is a famous street near Potala Palace in Tibet.

Barkhor Street is the oldest street in Lhasa located in the old area of Lhasa City, surrounding the Jokhang Temple. There are four circumambulations in Lhasa, Langkuo, Bakuo (Barkhor), Linkuo and Zikuo circumambulations respectively. The Barkhor Street is just one of them. It's said that in 647A.D., the first Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo built the Jokhang Temple, which was so magnificent that it quickly attracted thousands of Buddhist pilgrims. Consequently, a trodden path appeared. That is the origin of Barkhor Street. After many times' changes and expansion, and Lhasa at present covers a wider range. However, in the past, Lhasa only means the old city area surrounding Barkhor. Barkhor Street used to be the center of ancient Lhasa City and a microcosm of its history.

And nowadays, Barkhor Street is the representative and symbol of the ancient city of Lhasa as well as the most famous, most especial, the earliest and most prosperous of a circular street around the Jokhang Temple. When people are walking on Barkhor Street, they will be impressed and touched by what they have seen surrounding them. As Barkhor Street is one of the old circumambulations, many Tibetans come here to pray and have been coming to this area for centuries. Some of them have experienced thousands of miles' walk to reach this sacred place. Many pilgrims walk in clockwise direction from dawn to dark. Some of them walk along the Barkhor Street with the prayer wheels murmuring in Tibetan language, some move by body-lengths along the street. Even the teenager pilgrims also can be seen.

If you want to visit this street, I suggest you had better join China vacation packages for you are only allow to enter Tibet when you have permission card which can be easily gotten by joining a tour package of China company.