The white tower
Above dark forest.
Christopher J. Fynn — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · PgyamtshoBT — CC0 · Christopher J. Fynn — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Prof Ranga Sai — CC BY-SA 4.0
Jakar Dzong is a white fortress on a hill above Jakar town in the Chamkhar Valley of Bumthang in central Bhutan. Its name means roughly «castle of the white bird». It is among the country's largest dzongs and overlooks a broad valley full of temples, making it a natural gateway to Bumthang, which many see as Bhutan's spiritual heart. It stands on the site of an earlier temple founded by the lama Ngagi Wangchuk (1517 to 1554), and it is dated to 1549. Legend says a white bird settled here, marking the right place to build. Its circumference is more than 1,500 m. It became a fortress defending the eastern districts and the seat of Bhutan's first king, according to Wikipedia. From town you see the tall white tower and long walls above dark forest, red roofs and clouds that may pass below it. Inside is a large courtyard surrounded by timber galleries with painted windows. In the valley before the hill stand rows of tall white flags, an unforgettable sight in the wind. It sits directly above Jakar, a short drive or an uphill walk away, about 68 km by road from Trongsa and about 280 km from Thimphu, or 7 to 8 hours. Cover your shoulders and knees and do not take photos inside the temples. Foreign visitors also pay a Sustainable Development Fee of about 100 US dollars a night, and entry is usually arranged through a company with a licensed guide.
Above dark forest.
Painted timber galleries.
Tall rows in the valley.
Hill above Jakar town, Chamkhar Valley, Bumthang, Bhutan
It comes from a word meaning «white bird», after the site's founding legend.
The whole Bumthang valley, including Kurjey Lhakhang and Mebar Tsho.