Jokhang Temple & Barkhor Street
ཇོ་ཁང་ / བར་སྐོར
The center of Tibetan Buddhism, home to the 12-year-old Shakyamuni statue. Pilgrims prostrate in front of the temple, and the circuit around it is Barkhor Street. It is the most spiritually powerful place in Lhasa.
The Jokhang Temple sits in the center of Lhasa's old town. It was built in the 7th century under Songtsen Gampo and houses the 12-year-old life-size Shakyamuni statue (Jowo Rinpoche) brought by Princess Wencheng. It is the most sacred temple in the eyes of Tibetan Buddhists, and the saying goes, “The Jokhang came first, and then the city of Lhasa.” The temple blends Tibetan, Tang Chinese, and Nepali styles. Its main hall has four stories. Inside are the Jowo statue, statues of Songtsen Gampo and Princess Wencheng, centuries-old murals, and the Tang-Tibetan Alliance Stele in front of the temple. Highlights include the square in front, where pilgrims prostrate themselves all day; the main hall's Jowo statue, the focus of the queues of worshippers; the second-floor corridor murals; and the golden roof and gilded Dharma wheel flanked by deer, with views over Barkhor Street and the Potala Palace in the distance. Barkhor Street is a circuit of about 1 km around the Jokhang. Pilgrims walk it clockwise. Along both sides are traditional Tibetan houses, incense shops, thangka shops, Maji Atri (the Yellow House, said to be where the 6th Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso, lived), the Lower Tantric College, and the former residence of the Qing dynasty Ambans in Tibet. Tickets: 85 CNY for the Jokhang. In peak season, you must book a time slot on the official platform (usually available the same day). Barkhor Street is free, but entering the old town requires a security check. Suggestions: arrive before 8 a.m. to watch worshippers in the square, visit the temple in the morning (about 1.5 hours), and in the afternoon walk Barkhor clockwise, shop, and sit for a while at a Tibetan tea house. In the evening, walk from Barkhor Street to the Potala Palace Square for the night view. Transport: the center is served by several bus lines to Jokhang/Barkhor stops, and the Potala Palace is about a 20-minute walk. Notes: remove your hat when entering the temple, and photography is prohibited inside. Don't point at the Buddha statues with your finger. Always circle clockwise, never against the flow. Many “antiques” and dzi beads on Barkhor Street are craft items, so shop wisely. Ask permission before photographing pilgrims who are prostrating.
Opening hours
Jokhang Temple 09:00–17:30 (pilgrim prayer hours 07:00–11:30); Barkhor Street open all day
Nearby sights
- Guangming Sweet Tea House
- Makye Ame
- Tromsikhang Market
- Ani Tsankhung Nunnery
- Ramoche Temple
- Potala Palace Square
- Lukhang Park
- Potala Palace