A colossal gilded Buddha statue sitting on a hilltop above Kuensel Phodrang, overlooking the entire Thimphu valley. Built in 2015 in the Shakyamuni Buddha style, it stands 51.5 metres tall on top of a large meditation hall. The surrounding park offers some of the best panoramic views of the city and the surrounding forested ridges. You can enter the base structure and see rows of the smaller bronze Buddhas arranged inside. The walk up from the road takes about 15 minutes through forested grounds.
Buddha Dordenma
169-foot golden Buddha visible from across the Thimphu valley
A story
Buddha Dordenma was built to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the fourth king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. The hollow statue contains 125,000 smaller Buddha statues, each cast in bronze and gilt — all funded entirely by donations. At 51.5 metres, it is one of the largest Buddha statues in the world, visible from most points in the Thimphu valley.