View source for Pargor Subdistrict

{{short description|Neighborhood in Lhasa, Tibet}}
{{Expand Chinese|乔塔钦|甘丹塔钦|嘎顿塔钦|格桑塔钦|date=May 2020|topic=geo}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}

[[File:The Barkhor, both a place for walking meditation and shopping.jpg|thumb|right|An aerial view of the Barkhor]]
[[File:Jokhang Temple in Tibet.jpg|thumb|right|Barkhor Square and [[Jokhang Temple]]]]
[[File:Old Barkhor street.jpg|thumb|right|Old Barkhor street (1993)]]
[[File:Barkhor street scene.jpg|thumb|right|Barkhor street scene, Lhasa (1993)]]

The '''Barkhor Square''' or '''Barkhor''' (known also as '''Pargor Subdistrict''', {{bo|t=བར་སྐོར་|w=bar-skor|z=Pargor}}; {{zh|s=八廓|p=bākuò}}), is an historic area of narrow streets and a public square with markets, and the circumambulation route around the [[Jokhang|Jokhang Temple]] in [[Lhasa]],<ref>"Jokhang", MAPS, Places, University of Virginia</ref> [[Tibet Autonomous Region|Tibet]], [[China]].

The [[Barkhor]] is a popular devotional circumambulation around the historic Jokhang for pilgrims and locals. The walk is about a kilometre long and encircles the entire [[Jokhang|Jokhang Temple]] complex, the former seat of the [[Nechung Oracle]] in Lhasa called the [[Muru Nyingba Monastery]], and a number of former nobles' houses including [[Tromzikhang]] and Jamkhang. There are four large incense burners (''sangkangs'') in the four cardinal directions, with incense burning constantly, to please the gods protecting the Jokhang.<ref>Dowman, Keith (1998). ''The Power-Places of Central Tibet: The Pilgrim's Guide'', pp. 40-41. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London and New York. {{ISBN|0-7102-1370-0}}.</ref> The Tromzikhang market is busy in the Barkhor, and the area is a major tourist attraction.

Because the Jokhang Temple has also become a symbolic centre of Tibetan protests since 1987, the Barkhor has also seen many demonstrations. When the [[14th Dalai Lama]] won the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] in 1989, many of his supporters threw [[tsampa]] around the Barkhor to celebrate. After the [[Government of the People's Republic of China|central government]] denounced the prize, residents who continued such demonstrations were arrested.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Buddhism and Politics in Twentieth-Century Asia|first=Ian|last=Harris|publisher=[[Continuum International Publishing Group]]|year=2001|pages=236–237}}</ref> The square was briefly closed by [[riot police]] during the [[2008 Lhasa violence|2008 Lhasa protests]].<ref name="The EconomistWeekInTibet">{{cite news | last = Philip | first = Bruno | title = Trashing the Beijing road | newspaper = [[The Economist]] | date = 19 March 2008  | url = http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10875823 | access-date = 3 February 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100204033505/http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displayStory.cfm?story_id=10875823| archive-date= 4 February 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>

== References ==
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{{Township-level divisions of Lhasa}}
{{Lhasa}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Chengguan District, Lhasa]]
[[Category:Populated places in Lhasa]]
[[Category:History of Lhasa]]
[[Category:Subdistricts of the People's Republic of China]]
[[Category:Township-level divisions of Tibet]]


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