Theme Week Bhutan – Wangdue Phodrang

28 July 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong under reconstruction in 2019 © Christopher J. Fynn/cc-by-sa-4.0

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong under reconstruction in 2019 © Christopher J. Fynn/cc-by-sa-4.0

Wangdue Phodrang is a town and capital (dzongkhag thromde) of Wangdue Phodrang District in central Bhutan. It is located in Thedtsho Gewog. The town shares its name with the Wangdue Phodrang Dzong built in 1638 that dominates the district. The name is said to have been given by Ngawang Namgyal, the 1st Zhabdrung Rinpoche, who was searching for the best location for a dzong to prevent incursions from the south. At the chosen spot, the Zhabdrung encountered a boy named Wangdi playing beside the river and hence named the dzong “Wangdi’s Palace”.   read more…

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