Jokhang Temple

The Jokhang Temple in Lhasa is considered Tibet's most holy site and a destination for pilgrims from all over Tibet.

The temple was begun in the seventh century during the reign of King Songtsen Gampo, but has been continually restored and added to over the centuries. The temple is built at the center of a grand geomantic pattern that includes three successive rings of religious sites.

Jokhang Temple is immediately surrounded by a pedestrian walk and large square known as the Barkhor, an area filled with vendors and Tibetans making the traditional clockwise "kora" around the sacred temple.