Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street

UNESCO World Heritage Site (Historic Ensemble Of The Potala Palace, Lhasa Jokhang Extension, 2000) · Lhasa, Tibet

The holiest temple in Tibetan Buddhism and the spiritual heart of Lhasa, founded in the 7th century by King Songtsen Gampo and home to the Jowo Shakyamuni, the most revered statue in Tibet. Pilgrims from across the plateau prostrate before its gate, then walk the Barkhor, the clockwise circuit of whitewashed streets around it, spinning prayer wheels among butter-lamp smoke. Part of the UNESCO Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, it is visited on guided tours with a Tibet Travel Permit. From its golden rooftop the view runs across Barkhor Square to the Potala Palace, and the kora is busiest and most moving at dawn.

Barkhor Square, Chengguan District, Lhasa, Tibet, China

Pilgrim hours roughly 8:00-11:30; tourist hours roughly 11:30-17:30. Barkhor kora open all day and evening. Access and hours can change around festivals and sensitive dates.

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