Dechen Phodrang Monastery

Dechen Phrodrang meaning "Palace of Great Bliss" is a Buddhist monastery in Thimphu, Bhutan. It is located to the north of the city. In 1971 it became a monastic school and currently it has 450 student monks enrolled in eight-year courses with a staff of 15. The monastery contains a number of important historical Bhutanese artifacts including 12th century paintings monitored by UNESCO and a noted statue of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal on the upper floor. In the downstairs chapel, there is a central Sakyamuni Buddha.

Gangkhar Puensum

Gangkhar Puensum is the highest mountain in Bhutan and a strong candidate for the highest unclimbed mountain in the world with an elevation of 7,570 metres and a prominence of 2,995 metres . Its name means "White Peak of the Three Spiritual Brothers". It lies on the border with China (however, see below for disputes about its exact location). After Bhutan was opened for mountaineering in 1983 there were four expeditions that made failed summit attempts in 1985 and 1986. However, in 1998, a team successfully climbed a subsidiary peak of the mountain from Tibet. The elevation of Gangkhar Puensum was first measured in 1922 but, until recent years, maps of the region were not at all accurate and the mountain was shown in different locations and with markedly different heights. Indeed, because of inadequate mapping, the first team to attempt the summit was unable to find the mountain at all. The book of the 1986 British expedition gives the mountain's height as 24,770 feet and states that Gangkhar Puensum is completely inside Bhutan, whereas the nearby Kula Kangri is completely inside Tibet. Kula Kangri, 7,554 metres, is a separate mountain 30 km to the northeast which was first climbed in 1986. It is variously mapped and described as being in Tibet or Bhutan. Since 1994 climbing of mountains in Bhutan higher than 6,000 metres has been prohibited out of respect for local spiritual beliefs, and since 2003 mountaineering has been forbidden completely. Gangkhar Puensum may keep its unique status for some time: any higher unclimbed peaks in the world are likely to be subsidiary tops, not separate mountains. In 1998 a Japanese expedition secured permission from the Chinese Mountaineering Association to climb the mountain, but permission was withdrawn because of a political issue with Bhutan. Instead, in 1999, the team set off from Tibet and successfully climbed the 7,535 metre subsidiary peak Liankang Kangri (also known as Gangkhar Puensum North). Unlike most maps, the expedition's report shows this summit as being in Tibet and the Tibet-Bhutan border is shown crossing the summit of Gangkhar Puensum, described as "the highest peak in Bhutan," at 7,570 metres. This elevation is supported by Japanese sources, in turn based on Chinese sources. It has not been surveyed by Bhutan.

Jomolhari

Jomolhari or Chomolhari sometimes known as "the bride of Kangchenjunga”, is a mountain in the Himalayas, straddling the border between Yadong County of Tibet, China and the Thimphu district of Bhutan. The north face rises over 2,700 metres above the barren plains. The mountain is the source of the Paro Chu which flows from the south side and the Amo Chu which flows from the north side.

Liankang Kangri

Liangkang Kangri is a mountain peak in the Himalayas on the border between Bhutan and China, as well as at the southeastern end of territory claimed by both countries. Liangkang Kangri is 7,535 metres high. To the south, a ridge leads to the 7,570-metre Gangkhar Puensum 2 kilometres to the south-southeast . Due to the low saddle height of 234 metres , Liangkang Kangri is not regarded as an independent mountain. Westward a ridge leads to the 6,680-metre high Chumhari Kang. The Liangkanggletscher on the northwest flank and the Namsanggletscher on the eastern flank of Liangkang Kangri form the headwaters of the Lhobrak Chhu, a source river of Kuri Chhu. The glacier on the southwest flank belongs to the catchment area of Angde Chhu. The first ascent of Liankang Kangri was by a 5-member party led by the Japanese mountaineer Kiyohiko Suzuki on 5 May 1999. According to them, Liankang Kangri is the second highest unclimbed mountain in the world, after Gangkhar Puensum.

Thrumshing La

Thrumshing La, also called Thrumshingla Pass and Donga Pass, , is the second-highest mountain pass in Bhutan, connecting its central and eastern regions across the otherwise impregnable Donga range that has separated populations for centuries. It is located on a bend of the Lateral Road at the border of Bumthang District and Mongar District (Saling Gewog, toward Sengor), along the border with Lhuntse District to the east. The Lateral Road bisects Thrumshingla National Park, named after the pass. The World Wildlife Fund also maintains operations in the park.

Motithang Takin Preserve

Motithang Takin Preserve, located in the Motithang district of Thimphu, Bhutan is a wildlife reserve area for takin, the national animal of Bhutan. Originally a mini-zoo, it was converted into a preserve when it was discovered that the animals refrained from inhabiting the surrounding forest even when set free. The reason for declaring takin as a National Animal of Bhutan on 25 November 2005 is attributed to a legend of the animal’s creation in Bhutan in the 15th century by Lama Drukpa Kunley.

Royal Manas National Park

Royal Manas National Park is Bhutans oldest national park, and the Royal government considers it the "conservation showpiece of the Kingdom" and a "genetic depository" for valuable plants. It has an area of 1,057 square kilometres and covers eastern Sarpang District, the western half of Zhemgang District, and western Pemagatshel District. It is connected via "biological corridors" to Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary, Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, Thrumshingla National Park, and Khaling Wildlife Sanctuary. Royal Manas also directly abuts the World Heritage Site Manas National Park in Assam, India, to the south.

Sobrang Monastery

Sobrang Monastery is a Buddhist monastery in Ura Gewog, Bhutan. It is one of the most important Bhutanese monasteries as descendants from its lineage include Pema Lingpa and hence the Wangchuck Royal family. It was founded c. 1230 either by Gyelwa Lhanangpa or Nyoetoen Trushig Choeje; traditions and texts differ. It was restored in the early 20th century and again in 2000.

Jigme Dorji National Park

The Jigme Dorji National Park, named after the late Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, is the second-largest National Park of Bhutan. It occupies almost the entire Gasa District, as well as the northern areas of Thimphu District, Paro District, Punakha, and Wangdue Phodrang Districts. It was established in 1974 and stretches over an area of 4316 km², thereby spanning all three climate zones of Bhutan, ranging in elevation from 1400 to over 7000 meters. About 6,500 people in 1,000 households live within the park, from subsistence agriculture and animal husbandry.

Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park

Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park covers an area of 1,730 square kilometres in central Bhutan. It occupies most of Trongsa District, as well as parts of Sarpang, Tsirang, Wangdue Phodrang, and Zhemgang Districts. Jigme Singye abuts Royal Manas National Park to the southeast. The park is bound to the east by the Mangde Chhu and reaches the Wong Chu basin to the west. Along the border of the park from the north to the southeast run Bhutans main east-west and north-south highways. It is also connected via "biological corridors" to other national parks in northern, eastern, central, and southern Bhutan.

Wangchuck Centennial Park

Wangchuck Centennial Park in northern Bhutan is the kingdoms largest national park, spanning 4,914 square kilometres over five districts, occupying significant portions of northern Bumthang, Lhuntse, and Wangdue Phodrang Districts. It borders Tibet to the north and is bound by tributaries of the Wong Chhu basin to the west. Wangchuck Centennial directly abuts Jigme Dorji National Park, Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary, and Thrumshingla National Park in northern Bhutan, and is further connected to Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park in central Bhutan via biological corridors. Thus, most of northern Bhutan is part of these protected areas. Wangchuck Centennial was established on December 12, 2008 in honor of the Wangchuck dynasty, founded in 1907. It contains headwaters of four major river systems: Punatsang Chhu, Mangde Chhu, Chamkhar Chhu, and Kuri Chhu. Wangchuck Centennial also contains the various middle-Himalayan ecological biomes, ranging from blue pine forests to alpine meadows, at altitudes from 2,500 metres to 5,100 metres .

National Museum of Bhutan

National Museum of Bhutan is a cultural museum in the town of Paro in western Bhutan. Established in 1968, in the renovated ancient Ta-dzong building, above Rinpung Dzong under the command of His Majesty, the King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, the third hereditary Monarch of Bhutan. The necessary infrastructure was created to house some of the finest specimens of Bhutanese art, including masterpieces of bronze statues and paintings. Suitable galleries were constructed to house the extensive collections. Works of art were elegantly displayed on scientific lines. Today the National Museum has in its possession over 3,000 works of Bhutanese art, covering more than 1,500 years of Bhutans cultural heritage. Its rich holdings of various creative traditions and disciplines, represent a remarkable blend of the past with the present and is a major attraction for local and foreign visitors.

Tamzhing Monastery

Tamzhing Lhündrup Monastery in Bumthang District in central Bhutan is the most important Nyingma gompa in Bhutan. Its temple and monastery are remarkable for their direct connection to the Bhutanese tertön and saint, Pema Lingpa and his tulkus. It is now the seat of Sungtrul Rinpoche, the current speech incarnation of Pema Lingpa. Tamzhing consists of a deteriorating temple and a cramped vihara. It supports a body of over 95 Buddhist monks. In March 2012, the monastery was submitted for inscription on the list of World Heritage Sites; it currently resides on the tentative list.

Lingzhi Yügyal Dzong

Lingzhi Yügyal Dzong, is an important Drukpa Kagyu monastery and administrative center situated at an altitude of 4150 metres in Lingzhi, Thimphu District, Bhutan. There are about thirty monks headed by a Lama Neten resident in the Dzong. The office of the Drungpa is also housed in the Dzong.

Tashichho Dzong

Tashichhoedzong is a Buddhist monastery and fortress on the northern edge of the city of Thimpu in Bhutan, on the western bank of the Wang Chu. It has traditionally been the seat of the Druk Desi, the head of Bhutans civil government, an office which has been combined with the kingship since the creation of the monarchy in 1907, and summer capital of the country. It was built by the first Dharma Raja, who also founded the Lho-drukpa sect of Buddhism, which has remained the distinctive sect of Bhutan. The correct transliteration of the vernacular name—Bkrashis-chhos-rdzong, meaning "the fortress of auspicious doctrine"—is, according to Dr. Graham Sandberg, Tashichhoidzong. The main structure of the whitewashed building is two-storied with three-storied towers at each of the four corners topped by triple-tiered golden roofs. There is also a large central tower or utse.

Dochula Pass

The Dochula Pass is a mountain pass in the snow covered Himalayas within Bhutan on the road from Thimpu to Punakha where 108 memorial chortens or stupas known as "Druk Wangyal Chortens" have been built by Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk, the eldest Queen Mother. Apart from the chortens there is a monastery called the Druk Wangyal Lhakhang , built in honour of the fourth Druk Gyalpo (head of the state of Bhutan), Jigme Singye Wangchuck; the open grounds in its front yard is a venue for the annual Dochula Druk Wangyel Festival. The pass with 108 memorial chortens is adjacent to the country's first Royal Botanical Park.

National Library of Bhutan

The National Library of Bhutan (Dzongkha: Druk Gyelyong Pedzö འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་དཔེ་མཛོད།), Thimphu, Bhutan was established in 1967 for the purpose of "preservation and promotion of the rich cultural and religious heritage" of Bhutan. It is located in the Kawajangtsa area of Thimphu, above the Royal Thimphu Golf Course, near the Bhutan Folk Heritage Museum and The National Institute for Zorig Chusum (Traditional Arts and Crafts).

Druk Pol F.C.

Druk Pol FC is a football club from Thimphu, Bhutan. Until 1996 it was called Royal Bhutan Police FC. Druk Pol FC plays in the A Division and has won more national championships than any other team in Bhutan. The team plays in the Changlimithang Stadium.

Druk Star F.C.

Druk Star FC is a football club from Thimphu, Bhutan and have twice been champions of Bhutan. The team, formed in 1997, plays in the Changlimithang Stadium. The club competed in the A-Division from 2002, when they won their first title, through to 2010, having won a second title in 2009. they were absent from the A-Division in 2011 and played in and won the 2012 B-Division. Returning to the top flight, they qualified for the National League for the first time in 2014. In addition to their two A-Division and one B-Division title, they have also won the Club Cup Championship in 2009 and represented Bhutan in the AFC President's Cup in 2010.

Buddha Dordenma statue

Buddha Dordenma is a gigantic Shakyamuni Buddha statue under construction in the mountains of Bhutan. The statue will house over one hundred thousand smaller Buddha statues, each of which, like the Buddha Dordenma itself, will be made of bronze and gilded in gold. The Buddha Dordenma is sited amidst the ruins of Kuensel Phodrang, the palace of Sherab Wangchuck, the thirteenth Desi Druk, overlooking the southern approach to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. Upon completion, it will be one of the largest Buddha rupas in the world, at a height of 169 feet . Although its completion was planned for October 2010, construction is still ongoing as of February 2014. The statue alone is being built at a cost of US$47 million, by Aerosun Corporation of Nanjing, China, while the total cost of the Buddha Dordenma Project is well over US$100 million. The interior will accommodate 100,000 8-inch-tall and 25,000 12-inch-tall gilded Buddhas respectively. Names of sponsors will be displayed in the meditation hall which forms the throne of the Buddha Dordenma. Apart from commemorating the centennial of the Bhutanese monarchy, it fulfills two prophecies. In the twentieth century, the renowned yogi Sonam Zangpo prophesied that a large statue of either Padmasambhava, Buddha or of a phurba would be built in the region to bestow blessings, peace and happiness on the whole world. Additionally, the statue is mentioned in the ancient terma of Guru Padmasambhava himself, said to date from approximately the eighth century, and recovered some 800 years ago by terton Pema Lingpa. Under the eyes of the Buddha statue, the Kuensel Phodrang nature park was formally opened as a recreational park in 2011. The park conserves 943.4 acres of forest area that surrounds the Buddha Dordenma statue.

Jangtsa Dumtseg Lhakhang

Jangtsa Dumgtseg Lhakhang is a Buddhist temple in western Bhutan. The temple is notable as it is in the form of a chorten, very rare in Bhutan. It is located on the edge of a hill between the Paro valley and the Dopchari valley, across the bridge from Paro. The Buddhist iconography depicted in the Chorten is considered a unique repository of the Drukpa Kagyu school.

Royal Academy of Performing Arts

The Royal Academy of Performing Arts is a Bhutanese government body within the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs, Department of Culture, that supports the preservation of traditional Bhutanese culture. It was founded in 1954 under the initiative of the Third Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. In 1967, it was institutionalised as an academy and the Royal Dance troupe was its creation. The Academy is located in Thimphu, along Chhophel Lam.

Phrumsengla National Park

Phrumsengla National Park in central Bhutan covers just over 905 square kilometres across four districts, but primarily in Mongar. It is bisected by the Lateral Road, and contains the Thrumshing La pass.

Kungzandra Monastery

Kungzandra Monastery is a Buddhist monastery in the Tang Valley of central Bhutan. The monastery lies at an altitude of 3,350 metres in the hollow of a cliff. Guru Rinpoche and his disciple Namkhe Nyingpo are said to have meditated here at the end of the 8th century. The current monastery, however, was established in 1488 by Pema Lingpa.Aside from Lingpas living quarters, the monastery consists of three temples, the Wangkhang, which has the main statue of Avalokiteshvara with a thousand eyes and a thousand hands, Oezerphug, the meditation cave of Lingpas son, Dawa Gyeltsen and the Khandroma Lhakang, which contains a gilded copa statue of the monastery founder, Lingpa.

Lamay Monastery

Lamay Monastery or Lamay Gonpa is a Buddhist monastery in Bumthang, Bhutan. It is located four kilometers above the Jakar Dzong and was built by the Trongsa Penlop, Sonam Drugel, the great-grandfather of King Ugyen Wangchuck in the 19th century. Wangchuck restored the building and it was used as the residence of his two daughters. The palace’s main tower was destroyed due to structural problems. Today the building houses the Forestry Institute.

Lhodrakarchu Monastery

Lhodrakarchu Monastery is a Buddhist monastery in Bumthang District in central Bhutan. The monastery overlooks Jakar Dzong and the town of Jakar. The monastery is a recent construction, and began being built in the 1990s in the traditional Dzong architectural style following funding from international and Bhutanese donors. As of 2006 the monastery was still not entirely completed. Nevertheless the monastery is home to about 250 monks, many of them children and young adults. The monastery follows the lineage of the Namkhe Nyingpo Rinpoche, which is said to be descened from a disciple of Guru Rinpoche in the 8th century.

Oesel Choeling Monastery

Oesel Choeling Monastery is a Buddhist monastery in Bhutan. It is located in the village of Rangjung, on the left bank of the Gamri Chhu, approximately 16 kilometres from Trashigang. The monastery was built in 1990 by Garab Rinpoche. Austrian influence in the area has also funded a hydroelectric plant.

Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary

The Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary, which also contains the former Kulong Chu Wildlife Sanctuary, covers 1,520.61 square kilometres in north-eastern Bhutan at elevations between 1,500 metres and 6,000 metres . The Sanctuary covers most of Trashiyangtse District, including Bumdeling Gewog. The Sanctuary was planned in 1995 and established in 1998. It contains diverse flora, fauna, and scenery including alpine lakes and the Bumdeling Valley. The Sanctuary also contains several cultural and religious sites. Within the park live 3,000 resident households. The sanctuary has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it supports black-necked cranes, of which it is one of the country’s only two wintering sites, wood snipes and grey-crowned prinias. As of 2007, there was a recent record of the white-tailed eagle, a first for the sanctuary.

Khaling Wildlife Sanctuary

Khaling Wildlife Sanctuary is the smallest protected area of Bhutan covering 334.73 square kilometres in Samdrup Jongkhar District along the southern border with Assam. Its elevations range between 400 metres and 2,200 metres . Khaling Wildlife Sanctuary is, despite its small acreage, an important habitat for elephants, gaur, and other tropical wildlife. It may also contain the rare pygmy hog and hispid hare known to inhabit the adjacent Khaling Reserve in Assam, with which Khaling Wildlife Sanctuary forms a trans-border reserve.

Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary

The Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary is the second-smallest national park in Bhutan, covering 268.93 square kilometres in western Sarpang District and southeastern Dagana District along the border with West Bengal. It is connected to Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park and Royal Manas National Park via a "biological corridor" that crosses a national highway. Its elevations range from 200 metres to 1,600 metres .

Clock Tower Square

Clock Tower Square has a tower with four clock faces located in Thimphu, capital of Bhutan. It is a famously known landmark in Thimphu. There are many shops, hotels and restaurants surrounding the square.

Hotel Wangchuck

Hotel Wangchuck is a hotel in Thimphu, Bhutan, located in the heart of the city on the Chang Lam, overlooking the Changlimithang Stadium. The hotel, named after the Bhutanese king at the time, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, has 20 rooms and a restaurant serving a variety of cuisines.

Thimphu

Thimphu , formerly spelled Thimbu, is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's dzongkhags, the Thimphu District. The city became the capital of Bhutan in 1961. As of 2011, it had a population of 91,000. The city is spread out laterally in a north-south direction on the west bank of the valley formed by the Raidāk River, which is known as the Wang Chuu or Thimphu Chuu in Bhutan. Thimphu is spread over an altitudinal range between 2,248 metres and 2,648 metres . Unusually for a capital city, Thimphu is not served by an airport, but relies on the Paro Airport connected by road some 54 kilometres away. Thimphu, as the political and economic center of Bhutan, has a dominant agricultural and livestock base, which contributes to 45% of the country's GNP. Tourism, though a contributor to the economy, is strictly regulated, maintaining a balance between the traditional, development and modernization. Thimphu contains most of the important political buildings in Bhutan, including the National Assembly of the newly formed parliamentary democracy and Dechencholing Palace, the official residence of the King, located to the north of the city. As a metropolis and capital city, Thimphu is coordinated by the "Thimphu Structure Plan", an Urban Development Plan which evolved in 1998 with the objective of protecting the fragile ecology of the valley. This development is ongoing with financial assistance from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. The culture of Bhutan is fully reflected in Thimphu in respect of literature, religion, customs, and national dress code, the monastic practices of the monasteries, music, dance, literature and in the media. Tshechu is an important festival when mask dances, popularly known as Cham dances, are performed in the courtyards of the Tashichho Dzong in Thimphu. It is a four-day festival held every year during Autumn , on dates corresponding to the Bhutanese calendar.

Trashigang

Trashigang (Dzongkha: བཀྲ་ཤིས་སྒང་།), or Tashigang, is a town in eastern Bhutan and the district capital of the Trashigang Dzongkhag (district). The town lies on the east side of the valley above the Drangme Chhu River just south of where it is joined by the Gamri River. Trashigang is the eastern terminus of the Lateral Road, Bhutan's main highway leading to Phuntsholing in the southwest. The population of Trashigang was 2,383 in according to the 2005 census. In October 2011, Trashigang Dzong, under renovation since 2007, was on the verge of collapse. The dzong was built in 1659 by Trongsa Penlop Minjur Tenpa and served for centuries as an administrative headquarters and monastery, though government offices mostly relocated by 2011. Its sinking eastern foundation and crumbling upper walls necessitated either relocation or total destruction and reconstruction, according to dzong officials. However, as of 2012, the Trashigang Dzong was still used for the town's yearly tsechu. Trashigang is the largest district in Bhutan. it has two sub-districts and fifteen gewogs. Sherubtse College was the first accredited college in Bhutan, founded in 1966 by a group of Jesuits under the leadership of William Mackey. As of 2003 it became part of the newly created Royal University of Bhutan system that comprises all public post-secondary schools in Bhutan. Trashigang is served by Yongphulla Airport.

Trongsa

Trongsa, previously Tongsa , is a town and capital of Trongsa District in central Bhutan. The name means "new village" in Dzongkha. The first temple was built in 1543 by the Drukpa lama Ngagi Wangchuk, who was the great-grandfather of Ngawang Namgyal, Zhabdrung Rinpoche, the unifier of Bhutan.

Chagri Monastery

Chagri Dorjeden Monastery also called Cheri Monastery is a Buddhist monastery in Bhutan established in 1620 by Ngawang Namgyal, 1st Zhabdrung Rinpoche, the founder of the Bhutanese state. The monastery, which is now a major teaching and retreat center of the Southern Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, is located at the northern end of the Thimphu Valley about 15 kilometres from the capital. It sits on a hill above the end of the road at Dodeyna and it takes about an hour to walk up the steep hill to reach the monastery from there. According to Bhutanese religious histories, the place was first visited by Padmasambhava in the 8th century. In the 13th century it was visited by Phajo Drugom Zhigpo the Tibetan Lama who first established the Drukpa Kagyu tradition in Bhutan. Johnsingh describes the beauty of the place and the occurrence of goral there. Chagri Dorjeden was the first monastery established in Bhutan by Ngawang Namgyal in 1620 when he was 27 years old. The Zhabdrung spent three years in strict retreat at Chagri and resided there for many periods throughout the rest of his life. It was at Chagri in 1623 that he established the first Drukpa monastic order in Bhutan.

Gasa Dzong

Not to be confused with: Gasa, Bhutan or Gasa District Gasa Dzong or Gasa Tashi Tongmön Dzong near Gasa is the administrative center of Gasa Dzongkhag in the northwestern region of Bhutan. The Dzong was built in the 17th century by Tenzin Drukdra the second Druk Desi over the site of a meditation place established by Drubthob Terkungpa in the 13th century. The Dzong was constructed as a bulwark against attacks from the north and named Tashi Tongmön Dzong. It was later expanded by the fourth Desi, Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye. In January 2008 Gasa Dzong was badly damaged by fire.

Jakar Dzong

Jakar Dzong or Jakar Yugyal Dzong is the dzong of the Bumthang District in central Bhutan. It is located on a ridge above Jakar town in the Chamkhar valley of Bumthang. It is built on the site of an earlier temple established by the Ralung hierarch Yongzin Ngagi Wangchuk when he came to Bhutan. Jakar Dzong may be the largest dzong in Bhutan, with a circumference of more than 1,500 metres . The name Jakar is derived from the word bjakhab, meaning "white bird", in reference to Jakars foundation myth, according to which a roosting white bird signaled the proper and auspicious location to found a monastery around 1549.

College of Science and Technology

The College of Science and Technology is an institute in the Kingdom of Bhutan located at Rinchending in Phuentsholing, Bhutan. The college is the only engineering college in the country providing a degree level education. The college has successfully introduced Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering and Information Technology Engineering and Bachelor's degree in Architecture so far. The college provides adequate extra curricular activities for the students to free their minds. One of the club, CST Kuenphen Tshogpa has gained quite a popularity over the years. The club dedicates itself into serving the needy communities with donated or mass collected items. Once a year, members travel to a remote school to help them with clothes, blankets, etc. The other clubs include CST Nature Club who dedicates its member into preserving the nature and creating mass awareness of the nature's value. CST Nyendrom Dang Lokzey Deykhang is a new brewing club aiming to provide radio service and electronics repairing shop in the campus. This club organize the Foundation day of college by creating event like fete day. Fete day give students a refreshing moments after exhausted time in studying. Another club named CST Nangpay Zhenu was active club. The members performs daily morning prayer and coordinate the evening prayer as well. Moreover the religious activities are carried out by this club. The most popularly played sports are soccer and basketball. The college football ground is seldom left free. The students are known for their cooperation where all wear a uniform dress and cheer for their team in tournaments. The students also participate themselves in other sports like badminton and table tennis. All the students and most lecturers reside within the campus. Daily meals are regulated by the student body itself. There are in total 6 buildings for students and several more for the lecturers all connected by a road which runs till the Academic Buildings.

Ngang Lhakhang

Ngang Lhakhang is a Buddhist monastery in the Choekhor Valley of central Bhutan. It is located not for from Draphe Dzong, which was the residence of the Choekhor Penlop who was ruling the valley before the Drukpa conquest in the 17th century. Also known as the "Swan temple", Ngang lies on the right side of the valley. It is a private temple, built in the 16th century by a Tibetan lama named Namkha Samdrip, who also built Namkhoe Lhakhang in the Tang Valley. Today it is a residence and in 2004 was enlarged with four guest rooms.

Nyimalung Monastery

Nyimalung Monastery is a Buddhist monastery in central Bhutan, not far from Prakhar. The monastery was founded by Doring Trulku in 1938, a lama who originally came from Dartesedo in Kham in eastern Tibet. The monastery underwent restoration in 2002. The monastery, home to around 100 monks is especially noted for its talented musicians and its large thangka, devoted by the Japanese, which attracts pilgrims to a festival in the 5th lunar month.

Thowadra Monastery

Thowadra Monastery is a cliffside Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the Tang Valley of Bumthang District, Bhutan. Thowadra means "high rock", given its location and altitude of 3,400 metres .

Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary

Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located mostly in Trashigang District and just crossing the border into Samdrup Jongkhar District, Bhutan. It is one of the countrys protected areas.

Kangphu Kang

Kangphu Kang is a mountain in the Himalayas. At 7,204 m above sea level it is the 107th highest mountain in the world. The peak is located on the border between Tibet, China and Bhutan. The mountain has two significant subsidiary peaks, both located within Bhutan: Jejekangphu Kang 28°9′N 90°1′E Kangphu Kang II 28°8′N 90°6′E Kangphu Kang was first climbed on 29 September 2002 by a South Korean expedition.

Tongshanjiabu

Tongshanjiabu is a mountain in the Himalayas. At 7,207 metres tall, Tongshanjiabu is the 103rd tallest mountain in the world. It sits in the disputed border territory between Bhutan and China. Tongshanjiabu has never been officially climbed. The name "Tongshanjiabu" is indicated on a map from the Japanese Alpine News, May 2003, p. 44. The region's highpoint is sometimes given as "Teri Kang", but this appears to be the name of a subsidiary top.

Kyichu Lhakhang

Kyichu Lhakhang, is an important Himalayan Buddhist temple situated in Lamgong Gewog of Paro District in Bhutan.

Gipmochi

Gipmochi is a mountain in the Lower Himalayas in south central Asia. Rising to a height of 14,523 feet , the mountain sits on the trijunction point between the north Indian state of Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet.

Paro College of Education

The Paro College of Education is part of the Royal University of Bhutan. It offers a Bachelor's degree in education, also a Master's degree, intended for school administrators, a diploma in management, and a certificate in Dzongkha. The college is located on the bank of Paro River in Nangkha. Bhutan. IT began as a teacher's training center for pre-school care, which was formally inaugurated on 4 November 1975, with 15 trainess and a demonstration school at the Rinpung Campus. The new Teachers' training Center academic campus at Nangkha was inaugurated by Her Majesty the Queen Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk on 18 November 1999. In July 2000, the royal government approved the change of its nomenclature to the National Institute of Education because of its added responsibility for school curriculum and the creation of research center. The college observes its Foundation Day on 4 November, to commemorate its initial inauguration in 1975. Its present director is Mr. Thubten Gyatsho.

Sherubtse College

Sherubtse College was the first accredited college in Bhutan, founded in 1966 by a group of Jesuits under the leadership of William Mackey. As of 2003 it became part of the newly created Royal University of Bhutan system that comprises all public post-secondary schools in Bhutan. Sherubtse College is located near the small town of Kanglung in the dzongkhag of Tashigang in eastern Bhutan. The Royal Government of Bhutan hires about two thirds of the Sherubtse graduates while the remainder have to find work in the private sector or working for non-governmental organizations .

Drukgyal Dzong

Drukgyal Dzong was a fortress and Buddhist monastery, now in ruins, located in the upper part of the Paro District, Bhutan. The dzong was probably built by Tenzin Drukdra in 1649 at the behest of Ngawang Namgyal, Zhabdrung Rinpoche, to commemorate victory over an invasion from Tibet. In the early 1950s Drukgyal Dzong was almost completely destroyed by fire.

Zugne

Zugne is a village in Bumthang District in central Bhutan, located south of Jakar and east of Gyetsa on the Chume River in the Chume Valley. The village is noted for its weavers with scarves tied to their heads in the Bumthang style. They weave woolen yatras on pedal looms and also make belts. It has two notable workshops along the main road, the Thogmela and the Khampa Gonpo which make brightly colored textiles. The village has a small temple, Zugne Lhakhang, with a statue of Vairocana and the temple is said to have been established by the great Tibetan Emperor Songsten Gampo in the 7th century. Additional paintings were added to the temple in 1978 by Lam Pemala, a venerable monk of Zugne.

Motithang College F.C.

Motithang College was a football club from Bhutan, based at Changlimithang, who played in the inaugural Bhutan A-Division, then the top level of football in Bhutan, but since replaced by a full national league.

Bhutan