Punakha
Punakha Dzong, the fortress at two rivers
Bhutan's second oldest dzong, completed in 1637, held the seat of government for three centuries.
5 min read
Punakha Dzong stands where the Pho Chhu and the Mo Chhu meet. It was completed in 1637 under Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal and served as the seat of Bhutan's government until the capital moved to Thimphu in 1955.
A dzong is not one building. It is a small walled town that happens to hold a temple.
The building is a walled town in one piece: an outer wall, courtyards, a central tower called the utse, and the quarters of the monks who keep it. It has survived fire and flood, and each time it has been rebuilt in the same place.
Today it is the winter home of the Je Khenpo and the monastic body, who move here when Thimphu turns cold. It is an active house of prayer rather than a monument.
