Masks
Colourful.
Arian Zwegers from Brussels, Belgium — CC BY 2.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Emily Davidow — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Vinayaraj — CC BY-SA 4.0
Bhutan's national museum, founded in 1968 in Ta Dzong, an old round watchtower on the hill above Rinpung Dzong that guarded the fortress and valley in the 17th century; its round shape resembles a conch shell. The museum holds some of the finest things Bhutan has made: painted and embroidered religious paintings on cloth, colourful masks of the traditional dances, bronze sculpture, old household goods and weapons, fine handwoven textiles, a section on the country's nature and wildlife, and Bhutan's famous stamp collection. The tower was damaged in a 2011 earthquake and went through a long restoration. Its hilltop terraces give a superb view of Rinpung Dzong and the whole Paro valley with its fields and traditional houses, and a short path leads down to the dzong on foot. Visit with a guide; sources differ on the fee, and photography is not allowed inside. Most visitors to Bhutan pay a Sustainable Development Fee of USD 100 per person per night, fixed until August 2027, and a licensed guide is required at dzongs and major temples.
Colourful.
Fine handwork.
From the hill.
Ta Dzong, on the hill above Rinpung Dzong in Paro
In the round Ta Dzong tower on the hill above Rinpung Dzong in Paro, with a path down to the dzong.
