Ta Dzong, Trongsa
The watchtower above Trongsa Dzong, now the Royal Heritage Museum and the best single account of the Wangchuck dynasty.
- Coordinates
- 27.499°, 90.508°
Current Weather
Ta Dzong stands on the slope above Trongsa Dzong, which is exactly what it was built for: a ta dzong is a watchtower, raised in 1652 to guard the dzong below and the road that once ran through it. It is a tall, irregular building stepped into the hillside, with the wooded slope closing in around it.
The Royal Heritage Museum
It was restored and opened as the Royal Heritage Museum in 2008, the centenary of the monarchy, and the subject is the Wangchuck dynasty and the office of the Trongsa Penlop from which it came. The galleries are arranged up through the tower and include personal effects of the Kings, the raven crown's history, religious objects, and two chapels within the building itself.
If you want to understand why Trongsa matters — rather than only to look at the dzong — this is where it is explained, and it is the best museum of its kind in central Bhutan.
Visiting
An hour, and it is always paired with Trongsa Dzong immediately below. The approach is a short drive or a walk up from the dzong. From the tower's upper levels you look straight down onto the whole length of the dzong along its ridge, which is the view that makes sense of the place.
Location
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