Lhuntse Dzong

The Lhuntse Dzong sits dramatically on a spur above the Kuri Chhu river, visible from a long way off as you come up the valley. Five interior temples and a thriving monastic body make it one of the more active dzongs in eastern Bhutan, despite the small size of the district it administers.

The interior — open to visitors with a guide — has fine murals of Pema Lingpa's lineage and a striking statue of Guru Rinpoche. Outside, walk the kora path around the dzong's base for views down the river and across to the cliffs opposite.

things to do sight architecture
A story
The dzong, founded in the 16th century by the great Bhutanese saint Pema Lingpa as a small temple, was rebuilt in its present fortress form in 1654. The Wangchuck royal family of Bhutan traces its ancestral home to Dungkar village just up the Kuri Chhu — making Lhuntse, in effect, the ancestral cradle of the monarchy.