Where can I buy the Tibetan carpets and textiles?
Tibetan carpets and textiles are famous worldwide, but in recent years most “Tibetan” textiles have tended to come from Nepal or India rather than Tibet. So it is not easy to find the good traditional textiles. In particular you will need to look beyond the tourist trap shops in the Barkhor and by the Potala, where most of what is on sale has not been made in Tibet (or anywhere near!). Two places where you can find authentic textiles are the Dropenling Handicrafts Center and the Tanva Carpet Workshop. Dropenling is a project started by the Tibet Poverty Alleviation Fund a few years back: its store is near to the Mosque (follow the sign by the Makye Ame cafe, or look for leaflets and posters in cafes around town). It sells good Wangden carpets made in the villages around Lhasa and distinctive apron fabrics. The Tanva workshop is a recently started venture in Nam village, on the road between Lhasa and the airport, using local handspun Tibetan wool and both traditional and contemporary de
