The bridge view
The dzong above the rivers.
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Wangdue Phodrang Dzong is a long white building on the edge of a hill between two rivers, near Punakha in western Bhutan. It was among the most important fortresses combining monastery and administration. After a fire destroyed it in 2012 it was rebuilt, and it makes a good stop between Punakha and the road to central Bhutan. Ngawang Namgyal founded it in 1638, and it was completed in 1640. Legend says an old man advised him to build at the neck of a ridge resembling a sleeping elephant, so that he could unify the country. It suffered fire in 1837 and an earthquake in 1897. On 24 June 2012 a fire completely destroyed it, and rebuilding began in 2014 with support from Bhutan's king and India. The building stretches with white walls, red roofs and carved timber above a dry brown slope, topped by a central tower. From the bridge at the foot of the hill you see it whole above the meeting of the rivers, where the water turns blue-green. It stands at about 1,200 m. It is about 12 km in a straight line from Punakha and about 26 km from Thimphu. Parts of the building may be closed or still under work, so ask your guide. Cover your shoulders and knees and do not take photos inside the halls. 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.
The dzong above the rivers.
Long above the slope.
Above the red roofs.
Hill between the Puna Tsang and Dang rivers, Wangdue Phodrang, Bhutan
Yes, after the 2012 fire, with work starting in 2014, so ask your guide what is open.
Legend says an old man advised the founder to build at the neck of a ridge shaped like a sleeping elephant.