Lhasa’s Central Barkhor District to Get a Face-Lift
The government of Tibet’s capital city has begun a seven-month, 1.2 billion yuan ($196 million) project to help preserve Lhasa’s ancient heart.
State-owned China Tibetan News, citing a city government news conference from Friday, said the project will update the Barkhor area’s infrastructure, including water, sewer and electrical lines. The government also will build heating facilities, remove fire hazards, improve sanitation services, regulate signs and dismantle illegally built structures.
Believed to date back to the seventh century, the Barkhor has been built around Tibet’s holiest shrine, the Jokhang Temple. It is one of the most vibrant areas in Lhasa, where monks, pilgrims, residents and tourists mingle. Barkhor Street — which circles the temple — is a pilgrim route, but it is also known for shopping among tourists as it is filled with vendors selling traditional and religious artifacts.
The city will provide free space to 2,956 Barkhor vendors at one of the city’s prime locations to help minimize losses during the construction, China Tibetan News said.
– AP