The Barkhor is the kora — the pilgrimage circuit — around the Jokhang temple, and the most atmospheric street in Lhasa. A loop of perhaps half a mile, it is walked clockwise by a constant flow of pilgrims spinning prayer wheels and muttering mantras, intermixed with stallholders selling turquoise, prayer flags, yak-butter, juniper bundles, knives and silver charm boxes.
The market that runs along it is one of the few places in Lhasa where old Tibet still feels present. Khampa men in fur-trimmed coats stride past Amdo nomads with daggers at their belts; monks browse phone cases; women bargain over coral. Walk the full circuit slowly, then go round again — you will see different things each time.
The Chinese authorities heavily police the area, and metal detectors gate the entrances. Foreigners must show their permit and passport. Even so, the Barkhor remains the place where Lhasa's character is most concentrated. Come at dawn for the densest pilgrim crowds, or near dusk when the buttery light catches the white walls of the temple.