Shopping

There are a lot of very interesting things to buy in Lhasa. Unique, locally made products are the best souvenirs for visitors. Thangka s , Tibetan costumes, carpets, jewelry, knives, and gold and silver wares can be found in many shops. Barkhor Street , which is perhaps the busiest street in Lhasa, can certainly satisfy your tastes by selling many varieties of items. Merchants from Nepal, inland China, southern Tibet, and the local people sell handicrafts, costumes, jewelry, antiques, etc. Bargaining with these merchants adds to the fun. If you are lucky enough, you may get as much as a 70% discount! Just remember to pay attention to the quality of the item!

Yuthok Lu is a vehicle-free street with many department stores, supermarkets and shopping centers. Lhasa Department Store located at No. 1 Yuthok Lu is a good place to shop. You can buy whatever you need in this modern department store before you go on to more remote places. They also provide delicious food to eat in the department store and also comfortable accommodation. There are three Xinhua Bookstores in Lhasa and one of them is also in Yuthok Lu. You can buy maps of Lhasa, dictionaries, and many other books of Tibetan and Chinese literature in the store. Another Xinhua Bookstore is on Barkhor and the third is on Beijing Zhong Lu.

If you are interested in Tibetan medicine, you'd better go to the Tibetan Traditional Hospital near the Jokhang Temple . Saffron, musk, snow lotus and many other precious Tibetan medicines can be found there. And the best place to buy Tibetan carpets must be the Lhasa Carpet Factory which is also close to Jokhang Temple. They are reliable and sell genuine goods.