Interesting place names on the Barkhor Street

2022-09-16

Place names are a coincidence of historical culture and contemporary culture.

The names of the heritage sites on the Barkhor Street of the ancient city of Lhasa are named according to their geographic location or orientation, natural resources, family names, historical events, and historical figures.

For example, the Khor, meaning the scripture preaching place in Tibetan, at the end of the circumambulation on the Barkhor South Street was originally the site of a prayer meeting initiated by Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism in Lhasa in 1409. Because it has continued its tradition, it is called “Songqurewa”.

The shop Xiamao Garbo located on the Barkhor North Street was named after a Nepalese businessman, Bha Juratna Sahujee, who initiated to rent a store on the street. As he often wore a white hat, the locals called him Xiamao Garbo, meaning white hat in Tibetan. Over time, Xiamao Garbo became his shop name.