The Square Market

The Square Market features a wide, fan-shaped cobblestone plaza that funnels five major streets into a single bustling center. During the height of the tea and horse caravan trade, this spot served as the primary exchange for merchants hauling goods between Yunnan and Tibet. Traders unloaded their packs on these exact stones, turning the plaza into a noisy, multilingual marketplace. The market lacks traditional city walls, a design choice meant to encourage the flow of people and wealth through the heart of town.