Tashichho Dzong

Tashichho Dzong — the fortress of the glorious religion — is the building Bhutan is governed from. It runs along the west bank of the Wang Chhu in Thimphu: whitewashed walls, deep timber galleries, and a golden-roofed central tower, with a lawn and an avenue of willows in front of it.

Two dzongs on one site

A fortress called the Dho Ngön (Blue Stone) Dzong stood here from the 13th century. The dzong that matters was built in 1641 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the lama who unified Bhutan and gave it the dual system of religious and secular rule. When Thimphu became the permanent capital, the third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, had it enlarged and largely rebuilt through the 1960s — in the traditional manner, without nails and without architectural drawings.

A working building, not a monument

This is not a museum. The dzong holds the throne room and offices of the King, the secretariat, and several ministries. It is also the summer residence of the Je Khenpo and the central monk body, who move down to Punakha Dzong for the winter — so which half of the building is busy depends on the season.

Because it is in use, visiting is bounded: tourists are generally admitted after office hours on weekdays and during the day at weekends, and only to the courtyards and the main temple rather than the government wings. Your guide will know the current rule, which changes.

Thimphu Tshechu

Once a year the northern courtyard becomes the stage for Thimphu Tshechu, the capital's masked-dance festival and one of the largest gatherings in the country. If your dates fall across it, the dzong is the reason to be in Thimphu rather than a stop within it.