Tibetan Thankga
Tibetan thangkas are a unique art form particular to Tibetan culture. In short, thangkas are colorful sacred paintings that have fulfilled many purposes since they first appeared over 1,300 years ago. Holding religious and spiritual significance, thangkas are used in meditation, to request longevity, as thanksgiving, or to accumulate merit. You will find these bright and intricately detailed works of art in one of six forms: painted, surface embroidered, as embroidery, printed, cotton, and Kesi weaving. Typically featuring themes of Buddhism and Tibet, such as its rich history, the stunning landscape, religious studies, Tibetan medicine, astronomy, and the religious calendar. Read more
No doubt you’ll be wondering about how much does a thangka cost? Understandably, prices will vary depending on size, materials, and authenticity. A genuine thangka is no small undertaking. Apart from the extended duration of the creative process - which can take from six months to ten years - it is an intricate 12 step marathon that includes gluing, polishing, drawing and coloring. Authentic traditional Tibetan thangkas are created with mineral colors. Some are even colored with powder from gold or gems, allowing these monumental works of art to be stored without fading for decades or even hundreds of years. While in Lhasa, we highly recommend a visit to the Tibet Thangka Art Academy, or one of the many other thangka studios in Lhasa, if a beautiful thangka is on your beautiful travel memory wishlist.
Tibetan incense
Wander Lhasa’s streets and the intoxicating scent of incense is pervasive and unmissable. A true icon of traditional Tibetan culture, many visitors are unaware of how deeply ingrained incense really is and that it continues to fulfill religious and medicinal purposes, as it has done for over a thousand years.
Like Tibetan thangkas, Tibetan incense undergoes a lengthy (albeit not a decade long) production process, with every ingredient - herbs, spices, and medicinal ingredients - carefully and artfully gathered, dried, blended, and formed into incense sticks. Among the most frequently used ingredients you’ll find Tibetan saffron, snow lotus, musk, golden root, clove, sandalwood, angelica, and cinnamon, however, there are many more. Read more
Perhaps the most well known of all Tibetan incense is crafted at Nimu County. With Tibetan incense production identified as part of intangible cultural heritage to be preserved, dedicated locals have gained employment, skills, and income by learning the production process from Tibetan monks. Monasteries also have a name for themselves as incense makers, with Mindrolling Monastery, Tsurphu Monastery and Sera Monastery all highly regarded for their incense.
Keep in mind Tibetan incense is typically used at shrines and forms part of religious worship. While this may not be your driver, you are bound to appreciate the meditative, healing, and relaxing qualities that help soothe and calm a restless mind and cleanse the environment.
Tibetan rugs, carpets, and Kardian
A far distant cry from mass production, Tibetan rugs, carpets, and Kardian continue to be produced by skilled craftsmen and women according to traditional design and methods and using traditional materials.
One thing that makes Tibetan rugs special is the wool used to create them. It is said Tibetan highland sheep produce some of the finest wool in the world and it is this wool, or changpel, which provides the material for the rugs, carpets, and Kardian produced in Tibet. Appreciated by locals and those further afield who love beautiful materials, it is the wool’s softness - function of the high lanolin content - that keep it in high demand. Read more
Other unique features include the fact that wool continues to be hand spun - a feat in itself. Dye masters create the exquisite colors formed from natural plant dyes, while the method of weaving maintains a craft and skills with heritage that dates back many centuries, although exactly how many is a point of debate. Historically considered a lowly craft, rug making did not feature in religious decorative art, and was only first acknowledged for its beauty - ironically by a Westerner - early in the twentieth century.
If your search for shopping in Lhasa includes a Tibetan rug, you must learn there are three different types of Tibetan carpets. One is woven with yak and sheep wool, and made with brighter colors and more complex patterns. A finer version is woven with fine sheep wool. Relatively simple and crafted in a plain style, this type of rug has more patterns made with colored threads. Kardians are a traditional carpet with a long history. They are typically rectangular (about 2 meters x 1 meter), handmade, and can be either decorative or functional. Enter the home of just about any Tibetan family and you will find a Kardian. To add a Tibetan rug or Kardian to your own collection, explore the shops or carpet factories in Lhasa and Gyantse that are dedicated to their production.
Tibetan woolen fabrics (Pulu)
Regardless of where you travel in Tibet, you will see many versions of the traditional Tibetan pulu. Perhaps the most recognisable of these is the Pangden, the iconic rainbow colored Tibetan apron worn by Tibetan women. The pulu produced in Chanang, Gyantse, Nanggarze and Mangkam are best known. A traditional handwoven woolen fabric that has many applications, including clothing, shoots, hats, and robes, pulu is a wardrobe staple for Tibetans, even with the influence of western styles of dress. Recognisable as a densely textured cloth, pulu is often a combination of white, black, red, blue, maroon, and turquoise. Although this may not make it into your work wardrobe, a pulu can double as a decorative wall hanging when you return home.
Tibetan swords
It may be surprising to learn that Tibetan swords have been a feature of both traditional and everyday dress for centuries, and that Tibetan swords were the primary handheld weapon used from the seventh century. While useful for daily life and self-defense, swords served decorative purposes too. Read more
As with many aspects of Tibetan culture, different types of swords hold significance based on size, materials they are made from, and where they are housed. Ranging in size from one meter to 40 centimeters, a Tibetan knife may only extend a little over 10 centimeters in length. Everyday hilts may be crafted from ox horn, ox bone or wood, with decorative silver or copper wound around it, while the scabbard is typically more ornate with precious and semi-precious metals and gemstones adorning it in intricate designs featuring birds, animals, flowers and plants.
Swordsmiths continue to maintain this craft today with the finest to be found in Damxung, Lhatse, Qamdo, and Yi’ong, with the latter home of the famous “rainbow” swords made by local swordsmiths who keep this ancient tradition alive.
Tibetan masks
Experience any festival in Tibet and you will be struck by the colorful theatrical masks that are included as part of cultural and religious celebrations. In Tibet, masks form an integral part of a sacred, religious dance called the Cham lama dance, however, they are also a decorative feature in monasteries, worn for Tibetan opera, as well as traditional folk dancing and singing. Read more
Tibetan masks are synonymous with color. Just as other items of religious significance are made using bright colors, so too are Tibetan masks. Red, representing power, features heavily, while other colors such as yellow (signifying auspiciousness), blue, white, black and green are also commonly used. Traditionally made from clay (hard), wood or paperboard, or animal skin, cloth, paper and silk, the art of mask making continues today with the ancient skills carried on by artisans today. Whether you fancy a mask that does double duty as a wall hanging, or you plan on learning a few lines of song from a Tibetan operatic epic, these one of a kind pieces of art are definitely a collectible.
Tromsikhang / Chongsaikang Market
If you’re looking for an authentic experience of mixing with Tibetan locals going about their business and daily lives, then make your way to Tromsikhang / Chongsaikang Market. Located in Lhasa’s old town, Chongsaikang is the oldest and most famous market in Lhasa, having served food and just about everything else for over 300 years. By far the largest wholesale and antique market in Tibet, visitors will find this an eclectic mix of the everyday and unusual. Wander through what’s considered the most down-to-earth place in Lhasa - it’s a far cry from the auspiciousness of Potala Palace and other Lhasa highlights - and take in the local street food snacks, daily necessities, farm produce, clothing, and yes, even some pricey Tibetan jewelry and antiques. Chongsaikang is always bustling, but especially so around Tibetan New Year, when locals shop here for all their festival needs.
Tianhai Night Market
More of a night owl? Then look no further than the Tianhai Night Market. Under cover and more like a pedestrian shopping street or mall, Tianhai Night Market stakes its reputation on a monumental selection of food - think restaurants, small hole-in-the-wall cafes, and street food stalls. Once you’ve enjoyed the best Tianhai has to offer in the way of local cuisine, meander through the various market sections where clothing, shoes, electronic goods, and essential household items are also sold. Most Lhasa tourists will find themselves at this busiest and largest night market in Lhasa at some point during their Tibet tour, so be prepared to walk slowly and enjoy the atmosphere.
Barkhor Supermarket
Not a supermarket as you know it, Barkhor Supermarket, which first opened in 2013, is more bazaar than grocery store. With Western vernacular making its way into the local lexicon, ‘supermarket’ really doesn’t do Barkhor justice. There are over 3000 stalls in this three storey traditional Tibetan building. Find handmade Tibetan craft, tourist souvenirs, clothing, accessories, food, and local specialties. Be patient and expect to bargain your way through transactions. Perhaps start by watching the locals in action because Barkhor is popular with them too, particularly during Tibetan New Year.
Lhasa Ethnic Tourism Handicraft Market
As the name suggests, the Lhasa Ethnic Tourism Handicraft Market is a shopping destination for tourists to purchase local artisanal craft items and souvenirs. Traditional Tibetan cultural items feature here, including Thangkas, incense, rugs, knives, turquoise, dzi beads, as well as other Himalayan culture related items can be purchased here. If time is limited, be sure to make a stop here when visiting Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street, as the market is close by and worth a stop.
Yaowangshan Market
Yaowangshan Market will inspire the foodie in you. It’s the largest and busiest farmers’ market in Tibet, and conveniently located west of Potala Palace Square. The market covers a whopping 6,000m2 and features 600 stalls. An important mecca for locals, Yaowangshan is where locals go to stock up on vegetables, fruits, meat, and seafood.
Dropenling
Locals direct considerable effort towards preserving Tibet’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and social enterprises like the small craft shop, Dropenling, in the courtyard of Ancient Art Restoration Company is just one example of where success has been enduring. Marketing itself as a ‘hidden gem’ and ‘social enterprise that preserves Tibetan cultures and traditions’, this unassuming gallery-like shop showcases authentic Tibetan rugs, toys, jewelry, handbags, leather items, and clothes. Read more
Dropenling has committed to supporting Tibetan artisans, providing valuable support in product design training, business skills training, financing and marketing. Visitors can take part in workshops too. If you’re visiting Lhasa with kids (even grown up kids!), why not try your hand at Tibetan thangka painting, working with a coppersmith, making mineral pigment for a thangka painting, or sculpting your inspiration from clay? Visiting Dropenling is a perfect cultural experience if you are looking for something unique on your tour of Tibet.
Lhasa Department Store
Situated in the busiest commercial area of the city, the original Lhasa Department Store was founded in 1965 and became the first department store in Lhasa. After reconstruction and expansion projects in 1998 and 2002, the store expanded its enterprise to include the department store building, a shopping plaza, farmers market, and hotel. Many locals and families have fond memories of visits to Lhasa Department Store. A visit here is considered more of an experience, rather than a purely transactional event. Create your own when you grace its aisles.
Shenli Shidai Shopping Plaza
Opening in 2013, Shenli Times Square is the first shopping mall in Lhasa that caters to the shopper looking for a premium alternative. Located on Beijing East Road and approximately 15 minutes walk from Potala Palace, travelers wanting to indulge in a little retail therapy with a side order of western takeaway will find the first KFC branch, which opened its doors in 2016. Find hundreds of fashion retailers, food stores, restaurants, a supermarket, and cinema at Shenli Shidai Shopping Plaza. Popular with locals in Lhasa, it may not be your first choice while in Tibet.
Lhasa Wanda Plaza
Opening midway through 2020, Lhasa Wanda Plaza is located in the Dongcheng New Area, approximately kilometers from the city center. Covering a total floor space of 135,000m2, Lhasa Wanda Plaza is the largest and most modern shopping center housing 195 retail brands, and arguably the most popular shopping destination for locals in Lhasa. A second plaza - Liuwu Wanda Plaza - opened on the south bank of Lhasa River in 2021, with this eye-catching building now a feature of the surrounding district.
Lhasa Beicheng Xintiandi
An even more recent opening took place early in 2022 when the Lhasa Beicheng Xintiandi landed on the Lhasa shopping scene. Catering to locals seeking an alternative to the longstanding mainstays, Lhasa Beicheng Xintiandi is now the main shopping and leisure destination for local people in north Lhasa city. The large shopping complex includes a supermarket, cinema, gym, hotel, apartments, play area for children, and dining precinct, as well as many other retail outlets.
