Barkhor Street
In almost every travel guide to Tibet, Barkhor Street in Lhasa is enthusiastically talked about. Especially at night, walking down this street seems to have a charm that transports you through time. Barkhor Street, which has spanned millennia, now sits quietly in the center of Lhasa, witnessing the fusion between traditional and modern.
Attractions of Barkhor Street
At the entrance of the Barkhor Ring Road, stands the Tang-Tubo Alliance Monument, which has more than 1000 years of history. According to historical records, in 821 AD, the Tang Dynasty and the Kingdom of Tubo agreed to an alliance. In 823 AD, Tang and Tubo engraved the alliance in two languages, Chinese and Tibetan, on a stone: "Emperor Wenwu Xiaode of the Great Tang Dynasty and the Supreme King of Great Tubo, after deliberating on the affairs of the state as If they were one, they established a great alliance, which will never fade away, being recognized by both gods and men. May this alliance be remembered by future generations."
Former Resident Palace of the Qing Government
Just steps from the Tang-Tubo Alliance Monument is the historic site of the former Resident Palace of the Qing Government in Tibet, which is now a museum. In the year 1728, the central government of the Qing Dynasty established the first Government Resident's Palace in Tibet. Over the next two centuries, more than a hundred government residents arrived in Tibet.
Ancient Residences
The old part of the city, represented by Barkhor Street, has 56 large courtyards and ancient buildings. Mainly Tibetans, Han, Hui, Menba and more than 20 different ethnic groups reside in this area. For millennia, all ethnic groups have lived here in harmony and mutual cooperation.
Things to Do in Barkhor Street
Walking along Barkhor Street, with its new ethnic fashion shops and exotic atmosphere, is a delightful experience. Xiamagabu Nepalese Store, a century-old store on Barkhor Street, mainly sells characteristic Nepalese products. "Xiamagabu" in Tibetan means "white hat," and the store is named so because its founder often wore a white hat. Near an ancient tree, there is a coffee shop that offers a unique blend of foreign coffee and the popular barley in the highlands, choose a special drink called "Sunlight Orange" that fuses the charm of the "City of Sunshine" Sun".
Some say that Barkhor Street is the most characteristic and charming historical area in China and even the world; Others say that the large courtyards and ancient buildings on Barkhor Street are a microcosm of Tibet's social development. Today, visitors from around the world breathe new vitality into the ancient land of Tibet, as history and modernity advance together, telling the inexhaustible stories of the plateau in a whole new way. If you have time to travel to Tibet, do not hesitate to visit Barkhor Street and stroll through its quiet alleys, carefully observing the imprint of time and history on the people...
