Scenery of Barkhor Street North [Photo/Internet]

In recent years, Lhasa has changed a lot. Many historical buildings have disappeared. Luckily, in Chengguan district, as many as 56 historical buildings still exist. After the baptism of time, those building are now endowed with a kind of modern leisure by local people.

Longbuxia, a cloth store at the gate of Luobengxia, is a window for people to get to know this historical courtyard.

In 1947, Tseten Drolkar was born at Luobengxia, Barkhor Street North. She’s the fifth generation of the Luobengxia clan. “My great-great-grandfather came to Lhasa from Nepal. My great-great-grandmother was a native of Tibet. Before my father’s generation, all family members were deemed as half Chinese, half Nepalese. Later, due to several reasons, grandfather became a Nepalese citizen,” said Tseten Drolkar. “Years ago, there were many Nepalese merchants, or residents in fact, in the regions of Quchigang and Luobengxia. At that time, Nepalese merchants mainly lived on the selling of gold and silver jewelry and imported goods including Indian tea and commodities.”

Today, Tseten Drolkar lives with her husband and two sons. They run 3 stores selling Tibetan costumes, Nepalese costumes, and some commodities imported from Nepal. They also take care of the Luobengxia courtyard.

Six years ago, due to healthy reasons, Tseten Drolkar made frequent travels between Tibet and Nepal, as she sought treatment in Kathmandu and visited her eldest daughter there. “Today, traffic is much better. Before 1959, we depended on horses and mules as main vehicles. The journey from Kathmandu from Lhasa via Yatung port took about one month,” said Tseten Drolkar.

Both of her sons have already gown up. Tseten Drolkar has handed over Longbuxia to them. She no longer needs to be busy at work. In daily life, she makes pilgrimages, drinks sweet tea and Tibetan noodles, chats with neighbors, cooks for families… Outside this serene courtyard is the bustling, crowded Barkhor Street.