Bhutan - Lindsay Brown [124]
At Tashiling, next to the ‘Thinley Zangmo Shop And Bar’, you’ll see the new Potala Lhakhang, consecrated in late 2005 by the Je Khenpo. Inside is a fine 9m-tall statue of Chenresig, alongside a wrathful Guru Rinpoche.
After the road weaves in and out of side valleys for another 5km you finally get a view of Trongsa and the huge, sprawling white dzong that seems to hang in space at the head of the valley. On the opposite side of the huge Mangde Chhu valley you can see the road that heads south to Zhemgang and Gelephu near the Indian border. A viewpoint next to a small chorten by the road offers a good place for a picnic and photo stop. The dzong looks almost close enough to touch but is still 14km away. There are plans to restore the old footpath between here and Trongsa Dzong.
To reach Trongsa, you switchback into the upper reaches of the Mangde Chhu valley, cross the raging river at the Bjee Zam checkpost, and then climb again above the north bank of the river, past a waterfall and the Yangkhil Resort, before pulling into town.
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TRONGSA
03 / elev 2180m
Trongsa is smack in the middle of the country, a seven-hour drive from Thimphu, and separated from both east and west by high mountain ranges. The dzong and surrounding town is perched above a gorge, with fine views of the Black Mountains to the southwest. It’s a relaxed and pleasant town, lined with the whitewashed wooden façades of shops decorated with potted plants.
Trongsa Dzong has a rich history dating back to the 16th century. The first construction on the site of the dzong was carried out by Lam Ngagi Wangchuck, son of Ngawang Chhojey, who established Pangri Zampa in Thimphu (Click here). He came to Trongsa in 1541 and built a tshamkhang (meditation room) after discovering self-manifested hoofprints belonging to the horse of the protector deity Pelden Lhamo. Trongsa (‘New Village’ in the local dialect) gets its name from the retreats, temples and hermit residences that soon grew up around the chapel.
The town received a large influx of Tibetan immigrants in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and Bhutanese of Tibetan descent run most shops here. The Tibetans are so well assimilated into Bhutanese society that there is almost no indication of Tibetan flavour in the town.
Orientation
The main road from the west traverses above the dzong and passes the weekend vegetable market and small Thruepang Palace (closed to visitors), where the third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, was born in 1928.
The road climbs to a cluster of shops and hotels that form the bazaar. A traffic circle marks the junction of the road that leads south to Gelephu. A short walk down this road offers good views back to the dzong.
The road east goes uphill from the traffic circle. A short walk on this road leads to a steep, narrow path that will take you to the Ta Dzong watchtower.
Information
Bank of Bhutan (Map; 521123; 9am-1pm Mon-Fri, to 11am Sat) You need a photocopy of the cheque to change travellers cheques here.
Comprehensive E-World Shop (Map; 8.30am-noon & 1-6.30pm Thu-Tue; per min Nu 2) Internet access.
Post Office (Map; 8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat)
Sights
TRONGSA DZONG
This commanding dzong, high above the roaring Mangde Chhu, is perhaps the most spectacularly sited dzong in Bhutan, with a sheer drop to the south that often just disappears into cloud and mist. The rambling collection of buildings trails down the ridge in a remarkable succession of streetlike corridors, wide stone stairs and beautiful stone courtyards.
The southernmost part of the dzong, Chorten Lhakhang, is the location of the first hermitage, built in 1543. The actual dzong was built in its present form in 1644 by