Shopping in Lhasa - What and Where to Buy in Lhasa

For tourists who come to Lhasa, they are lucky because Lhasa can offer them so many unique souvenirs to take home. Those local specialties of Lhasa feature strong ethnic characteristics to mark their Lhasa tours. Dried yak meat, Tibetan ornaments and Tibetan medicines are the most popular specialties among international tourists. Besides, the traditional hand-made thangkas are exquisite for tourists to purchase. If you want to know more about what and where to buy during your tour in Lhasa, you can keep reading and get some useful information about shopping in Lhasa.

Shopping Goods in Tibet

Dried Yak Meat

For Tibetan people, yaks are the most important part. Tibetan people will drink yak milk, eat yak meat and even the yak dung can be fired to get warm. And its fur and skin can also be taken advantage of. Tibetan people need yaks to transport necessary materials. Each winter, Tibetan family will begin to make the traditional dried yak meat with the help of the dry and cold wind. As one of the best food for Tibetan people to offer for its guests, dried yak meat is also one of the best specialties for tourists to take home.

Dried Yak Meat

Thangkas

Thangka is a religious scroll painting that is framed with colorful satin. In Tibetan culture, thangkas are usually hung up for people to worship. It is a unique form of painting art in Tibetan culture, involving Tibetan history, politics, culture, social life and many other fields. Those most popular subjects are Buddha in all thangkas. Painters will use some natural raw materials to make thangkas to make sure that those paintings will always be bright and dazzling. So, a high-quality hand-made thangka will be expensive. And tourists also need to be careful when purchasing thangkas in Lhasa to avoid prints.

Thangkas

Tibetan Rugs

Tibetan rugs are made of high-quality wool from the northern Tibetan plateau. It is an ancient craft in Tibet that is used commonly in the daily lives of Tibetan people, such as for saddles, decoration, floor cover, etc. Those rugs are uniquely weaved with bright colors and soft touch. What makes Tibetan rugs most popular among tourists is that they are usually decorated with special patterns of Tibetan culture.

Tibetan Rugs

Tibetan Religious Objects

When you go to those small shops in Lhasa, you will see there are so many religious objects for tourists to purchase. Tibetan religious objects are used daily among Tibetan people and Buddhist monks because they believe those items will help them get good luck and fortune from Buddha. Most of those religious objects are exquisitely made, including Buddhist prayer bell, dorje, Tibetan drum, Tibetan prayer beads, Tibetan prayer wheel, Tibetan butter lamp and so on.

Tibetan Incense

Tibetan incense is hand-rolled from natural herbal ingredients, which grant it the pure aroma to help soothe and calm one's mind. In Tibetan's daily lives, it is widely used to purify the environment and help people meditate and relax themselves. Besides, it has been a very important part of Tibetan culture for many years to offer incense daily at most Tibetan homes and monasteries.

Tibetan Incense

Tibetan Traditional Clothes

The traditional clothes of Tibetan people are vibrant with kinds of colors. And clothes are easy to be packed in the luggage for tourists to take home. You can buy some high-quality dresses that are made of silk with beautiful patterns.

Tibetan Traditional Clothes

Tibetan Medicine

Traditional Tibetan medicine is world-famous with more than a thousand years of history and many tourists will choose to take some home. Those medicines are the result of the Tibetan people's years of fight against nature and diseases, which makes them precious and effective. However, if you are going to purchase some to take home, you'd better get to know the medicines very well and go to regular hospitals in Lhasa.

Tibetan Medicine

Shopping Places in Lhasa

Now, you are clearly aware of what you can buy in Lhasa, you need to know where to buy those items that you would like to take home. There are some places in Lhasa where tourists can purchase high-quality products with cheaper prices.

Barkhor Street

Barkhor Street is the most famous commercial street in old Lhasa city built around the Jokhang Temple. Along the street, there are numerous shops and stalls lining up for tourists to pick up their favorite artworks, handicrafts and other items that can catch their eyes. And there are many local people and merchants selling Tibetan rugs, knives, traditional clothes, jewellery, and other products on the street. It is a must-go destination in Lhasa and tourists will get a different feeling since there will be lots of pilgrims walking and rotating their prayer wheels. However, if you cannot find souvenirs that you like here, don’t worry about it. Step outside of the tourism area, you will find more local and more exquisite items that you prefer to take home.

Shops and Stalls at the Barkhor Street

Chongsaikang Tashi Market

If you want to walk with the local people and experience authentic Lhasa local daily life, you may want to take a tour to Chongsaikang Tashi Market. It is the oldest market in Lhasa and now it is also the largest market in the city. This market is mainly selling small products to local people and tourists from all over the world. After stepping into this place, you are about to see lots of small commodities selling everywhere, such as kinds of snacks, handicrafts, collections, jewellery, beads, clothes, etc. You can always get something that you like here with Tibetan ethnic characteristics. However, before you have confirmed that the antiques or other valuables that you are going to buy are authentic, you don’t want to make an inquiry here.

Chongsaikang Tashi Market

Lhasa Ethnic Tourism Handicraft Market

Located in Chengguan District and near Barkhor Street, Lhasa Ethnic Tourism Handicraft Market is a large mall for tourists to purchase handicrafts and souvenirs easily. Here tourists will find a wide variety of products here, including thangkas, Tibetan rugs, antiques, bracelets, dzi, Buddha beads, etc. However, other valuables with Tibetan style can also be found, such as ornaments, pendants, and some goods from Nepal and India. As a regular mall in Lhasa, the prices here will be fair and the quality of goods can be guaranteed.

Lhasa Ethnic Tourism Handicraft Market