Bhutan: Simtokha Dzong

Simtokha Dzong is just about 5 km south of Thimphu city in the Thimphu Valley and it is one of Bhutan’s oldest and most significant fortresses. Built in 1629, by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the unifier of Bhutan, it is considered the first dzong constructed in the country, blending administrative and monastic functions – which is now what makes Bhutan system work. In the past, it acted as a fortress to consolidate Zhabdrung’s rule and it repelled Tibetan invasions. Today, it serves as the Institute for Language and Cultural Studies, training monks and preserving Dzongkha, Bhutan’s national language. And towering on the mountain cabins the Simtokha Dzong is the colossal Buddha Dordenma stature.