Shopping in Tibet Introduction

Shopping in Barkhor Street

Before going to Tibet, have you ever heard of Barkhor Street?

There are many shops which are filled with variety Tibetan handicrafts in Barkhor Street. Most of businessmen in Barkhor Street are Tibetans in pasturing areas. The things which are sold in the street are simple and unsophisticated, full of nationality characteristics. As the handicrafts are not very delicate, the price is relatively low. Carefully searching along the street, you can find there are many agate ornaments, bronze things (include religious things), jade article and part of silver religious things, Buddha Statue, Tibetan tableware in the street which are worth to buy.

Border Trade in Tibet

In recent years, the border trade in Tibet is very active. So, there appeared many foreign things in Barkhor Street. The foreign goods in street shops with strange brand, including India religious beads and precious stones, Nepal necklaces, Bhutan lipsticks, Spanish nail polish, France perfume and so on. The prices of many things are cheap and the range of float is large. It is hard to distinguish its real or fake. So, please don't buy these things without thinking.

Shopping in National Emporia

Come out from Barkhor Street and come to the National Emporia, you will find the handicrafts in there are more and better. Except the things in Barkhor Street, there are crystal accessories, Tibetan incense, India incense, Tibetan mask, and Tibetan clothes and so on. However, things in the emporia is expensive than in Barkhor Street.

Shopping in Shigatse

Except Lhasa, Shigatse is a good place for shopping. There are no uniform shopping malls. All of these are free markets. Many people crowd in there looks very lively. There is one thing you must keep in mind that the goods in Shigatse are in different level. If you want to buy some good things, it depends on you ability and chance.